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Thomas Wevers

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas Wevers.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Observations of X-ray quasi-periodic eruptions

Quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are a novel class of repeating nuclear transients, discovered exclusively in the X-ray band to date. Since their initial discovery in 2019, the QPE sample has grown to 13 sources, exhibiting large amplitude, quasi-regular eruptive variability patterns that are distinct from previously known modes of massive black hole variability. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive overview of their observational characteristics. We review the X-ray spectral and timing properties of QPE eruptions, their long-term evolution, as well as the underlying quiescent emission, which is well described by thermally dominated, compact accretion disks. We discuss population-level emerging trends and selection biases, and present an updated census of their host galaxy properties. We also highlight the growing body of evidence pointing to strong connections between QPEs and tidal disruption events. Finally, we briefly summarize the key observational constraints on proposed QPE model interpretations, before looking ahead to the observational challenges and opportunities that will shape future progress in understanding this emerging population of nuclear transients.

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Optical observations of candidate host galaxies of eight fast X-ray transients

Fast X-ray transients (FXTs) are extragalactic flashes of X-rays with a typical duration of minutes to hours for which a variety of origins has been proposed and observed. To decipher the origin of FXTs, particularly those lacking multi-wavelength counterparts, we aim to understand their energetics and environments. We present deep optical ground-based observations of the positions of eight FXTs in order to try and identify and characterize candidate host galaxies. We use their properties to discriminate between possible progenitor scenarios. We identify candidate host galaxies for Swift~J050400.2+673405, XRT140507, XRT040610, XRT151121, XRT191127 and EP240708a. For each candidate, we infer the spectroscopic or photometric redshift, stellar mass, star formation rate, metallicity and stellar population age by fitting our data with the spectral energy distribution fitting code BAGPIPES. We re-identify XRT191223 as a Galactic stellar flare. For several FXTs, there are multiple candidate host galaxies, which complicates deriving constraints on the origin of the FXT. Assuming association with (one of) those candidates, all are consistent with a (non-)relativistic white dwarf - intermediate mass black hole tidal disruption event (WD-IMBH TDE) and a binary neutron star (BNS) merger. Two are consistent with a supernova shock breakout and only EP240708a with cocoon emission from a long gamma-ray burst. We also discuss the possibility that the host galaxies remain undetected in our observations. We conclude that FXTs detected by Chandra and XMM-Newton are likely to arise from a variety of origins, and we discuss that part of this population differs from FXTs detected by Einstein Probe many of which appear consistent with a collapsar scenario.

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The Hubble Advanced Spectral Product (HASP) Program

The Hubble Advanced Spectral Products (HASP) program is designed to robustly coadd Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) and Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) spectra within the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) in an automated fashion such that coadds are available for new data or archival data with updated calibrations. For each target within a visit or program, HASP employs a meticulous multi-stage filtering process to ensure data quality and creates coadded products for all central wavelengths (CENWAVEs) within specific gratings, as well as combined products using different gratings and instruments. The project also emphasizes making the code accessible to the user community for custom coaddition. As calibrations improve and new data are added to the archive, HASP products are re-created automatically so that they represent the best reduction of a given visit or program. Automated coadditions like those achieved by HASP can significantly enhance the combination of different CENWAVES, increase signal-to-noise ratios, and increase wavelength coverage. These properties make HASP a vital resource for astronomers using archival spectroscopic data from HST.

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Overview of the New Hubble Spectroscopic Legacy Archive

The new Hubble Spectroscopic Legacy Archive (HSLA) provides coadded spectra of individual targets that have been observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) over their operating lifetime. HSLA uses data available in the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST). It automatically produces coadds whenever new data become publicly available or when there is newly recalibrated data. HSLA defines individual targets by their associated coordinates, accounting for proper motions, and uses SIMBAD, NED and the Phase II observing proposals to obtain astronomical classifications for each object. Coadded spectra are produced for each observing mode. In the case of COS far-ultraviolet observations there is one coadded spectrum for each lifetime position (LP). Additionally, a spectrum spanning the entire wavelength range covered by the observations is produced by abutting the spectra from a selection of individual modes. For each individual target, HSLA also provides a human-readable metadata file with key information that can be used in searches or for further exploration of the data. The HSLA project also makes the code used for coadding spectra publicly available along with several other tools (using Jupyter notebooks) for custom coaddition required in special cases. In this report we will describe the main components of HSLA and provide a brief description of how the data and metadata can be accessed.

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The Lazuli Space Observatory: Architecture & Capabilities

The Lazuli Space Observatory is a 3-meter aperture astronomical facility designed for rapid-response observations and precision astrophysics across visible to near-infrared wavelengths (400-1700 nm bandpass). An off-axis, freeform telescope delivers diffraction-limited image quality (Strehl $>$0.8 at 633 nm) to three instruments across a wide, flat focal plane. The three instruments provide complementary capabilities: a Wide-field Context Camera (WCC) delivers multi-band imaging over a 35' $\times$ 12' footprint with high-cadence photometry; an Integral Field Spectrograph (IFS) provides continuous 400-1700 nm spectroscopy at R $\sim$ 100-500 for stable spectrophotometry; and an ExtraSolar Coronagraph (ESC) enables high-contrast imaging expected to reach raw contrasts of $10^{-8}$ and post-processed contrasts approaching $10^{-9}$. Operating from a 3:1 lunar-resonant orbit, Lazuli will respond to targets of opportunity in under four hours--a programmatic requirement designed to enable routine temporal responsiveness that is unprecedented for a space telescope of this size. Lazuli's technical capabilities are shaped around three broad science areas: (1) time-domain and multi-messenger astronomy, (2) stars and planets, and (3) cosmology. These capabilities enable a potent mix of science spanning gravitational wave counterpart characterization, fast-evolving transients, Type Ia supernova cosmology, high-contrast exoplanet imaging, and spectroscopy of exoplanet atmospheres. While these areas guide the observatory design, Lazuli is conceived as a general-purpose facility capable of supporting a wide range of astrophysical investigations, with open time for the global community. We describe the observatory architecture and capabilities in the preliminary design phase, with science operations anticipated following a rapid development cycle from concept to launch. [Abstract abridged]

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Detection of disk-jet co-precession in a tidal disruption event

Theories and simulations predict that intense spacetime curvature near black holes bends the trajectories of light and matter, driving disk and jet precession under relativistic torques. However, direct observational evidence of disk-jet co-precession remains elusive. Here, we report the most compelling case to date: a tidal disruption event (TDE) exhibiting unprecedented 19.6-day quasi-periodic variations in both X-rays and radio, with X-ray amplitudes exceeding an order of magnitude. The nearly synchronized X-ray and radio variations suggest a shared mechanism regulating the emission regions. We demonstrate that a disk-jet Lense-Thirring precession model successfully reproduces these variations while requiring a low-spin black hole. This study uncovers previously uncharted short-term radio variability in TDEs, highlights the transformative potential of high-cadence radio monitoring, and offers profound insights into disk-jet physics.

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JWST Discovery of a High-Redshift Tidal Disruption Event Candidate in COSMOS-Web

The rates and properties of tidal disruption events (TDEs) provide valuable insights into their host galaxy central stellar densities and the demographics of their central supermassive black holes (SMBHs). TDEs have been observed only at low redshifts ($z \lesssim 1$), due to the difficulty in conducting deep time-domain surveys. In this work, we present the discovery of a high-redshift TDE candidate, HZTDE-1, in the COSMOS-Web survey with JWST's NIRCam, using a novel selection technique based on color and morphology. We first outline a methodology for identifying high-z TDEs in deep infrared imaging surveys, leveraging their unique spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and morphologies of these transients. We apply this technique to COSMOS-Web in filters F115W, F150W, F277W, and F444W, and identify HZTDE-1, a transient point source relative to archival UltraVISTA infrared observations. If we assume it is a TDE, we estimate its photometric redshift to be $z=5.02^{+1.32}_{-1.11}$. HZTDE-1 cannot be explained by reasonable supernova or AGN models. However, we cannot rule out a superluminous supernova at $z\gtrsim3$. If confirmed with follow-up observations, HZTDE-1 would represent the highest-redshift TDE discovery to date, and would suggest an enhancement of the TDE rate in the high-redshift universe. Our method, which can be applied to future deep surveys with JWST and Roman, offers a pathway to identify TDEs at $z>4$ and probe black hole demographics at early cosmic times.

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Time-resolved Hubble Space Telescope UV observations of an X-ray quasi-periodic eruption source

X-ray quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are a novel mode of variability in nearby galactic nuclei whose origin remains unknown. Their multi-wavelength properties are poorly constrained, as studies have focused almost entirely on the X-ray band. Here we report on time-resolved, coordinated Hubble Space Telescope far ultraviolet and XMM-Newton X-ray observations of the shortest period X-ray QPE source currently known, eRO-QPE2. We detect a bright UV point source ($L_{\rm FUV} \approx {\rm few} \times 10^{41}$ erg s$^{-1}$) that does not show statistically significant variability between the X-ray eruption and quiescent phases. This emission is unlikely to be powered by a young stellar population in a nuclear stellar cluster. The X-ray-to-UV spectral energy distribution can be described by a compact accretion disk ($R_{\rm out} = 343^{+202}_{-138} \ R_{\rm g}$). Such compact disks are incompatible with typical disks in active galactic nuclei, but form naturally following the tidal disruption of a star. Our results rule out models (for eRO-QPE2) invoking i) a classic AGN accretion disk and ii) no accretion disk at all. For orbiter models, the expected radius derived from the timing properties would naturally lead to disk-orbiter interactions for both quasi-spherical and eccentric trajectories. We infer a black hole mass of log$_{10}(M_{\rm BH}) = 5.9 \pm 0.3$ M$_{\odot}$ and Eddington ratio of 0.13$^{+0.18}_{-0.07}$; in combination with the compact outer radius this is inconsistent with existing disk instability models. After accounting for the quiescent disk emission, we constrain the ratio of X-ray to FUV luminosity of the eruption component to be $L_{\rm X} / L_{\rm FUV} > 16-85$ (depending on the intrinsic extinction).

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Repeated Partial Tidal Disruptions and Quasi-Periodic Eruptions in SwJ023017.0+283603

SwJ023017.0+283603 (SwJ0230) exhibited soft X-ray (0.3-1.0 keV) eruptions recurring roughly every 22 days. We present results from an extended monitoring campaign of SwJ0230 using Swift, NICER, and deep XMM-Newton observations. Our main findings are: 1) SwJ0230 did not display any eruptions during two 80-day periods (June-September 2023 and July-September 2024) of high-cadence monitoring with NICER and Swift, suggesting that the eruptions have ceased, implying an eruption lifetime of less than 536 days; 2) quiescent/non-eruption emission is detected with XMM-Newton, with a 0.3-2.0 keV luminosity of 4$\times$10$^{40}$ erg/s (bolometric luminosity of $<$0.1% Eddington assuming a black hole mass of 10$^{6-7}$ M$_{\odot}$), that is consistent with a thermal disk spectrum peaking at 0.11$^{+0.06}_{-0.03}$ keV; 3) SwJ0230 exhibited multiple, rapid eruptions (duration$<$5 hours, similar to quasi-periodic eruptions; QPEs), and there is tentative evidence that they recur, on average, on roughly the same timescale of 22 days. \target therefore exhibited (when active) both rapid, QPE-like outbursts and longer-duration outbursts, more akin to those from repeating partial Tidal Disruption Event (rpTDE) candidates. These findings are difficult to explain with existing models that invoke an orbiter interacting with a persistent disk and those involving disk instabilities. We propose a hybrid model wherein an object of smaller mass (e.g., a Jupiter-sized planet) being repeatedly partially stripped and subsequently punching through its own, fallback-induced disk, can explain many of the observed properties, including the long-duration flares (from accretion), the short-duration outbursts (from the planet-disk interaction), and the turn-off of the flares (when the planet is totally stripped of gas).

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Repeating transients in galactic nuclei: confronting observations with theory

In the last few years, a mysterious new class of astrophysical objects has been uncovered. These are spatially coincident with the nuclei of external galaxies and show X-ray variations that repeat on timescales of minutes to a month. They manifest in three different ways in the data: stable quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) and quasi-periodic outflows (QPOuts). QPOs are systems that show smooth recurrent X-ray brightness variations while QPEs are sudden changes that appear like eruptions. QPOuts represent systems that exhibit repeating outflows moving at mildly-relativistic velocities of about 0.1-0.3c, where c is the speed of light. Their underlying physical mechanism is a topic of heated debate, with most models proposing that they originate either from instabilities within the inner accretion flow or from orbiting objects. There is a huge excitement especially from the latter class of models as it has been argued that some repeating systems could host extreme mass-ratio inspirals, potentially detectable with upcoming space-based gravitational wave interferometers. Consequently, paving the path for an era of "persistent" multi-messenger astronomy. Here we summarize the recent findings on the topics, including the newest observational data, various physical models and their numerical implementation.

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Alive and Strongly Kicking: Stable X-ray Quasi-Periodic Eruptions from eRO-QPE2 over 3.5 Years

Quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are recurring bursts of soft X-rays from the nuclei of galaxies. Their physical origin is currently a subject of debate, with models typically invoking an orbiter around a massive black hole or disk instabilities. Here we present and analyze the temporal and spectral evolution of the QPE source eRO-QPE2 over 3.5 years. We find that eRO-QPE2 1) is remarkably stable over the entire 3.5-year temporal baseline in its eruption peak luminosity, eruption temperature, quiescent temperature, and quiescent luminosity, 2) has a stable mean eruption recurrence time of 2.35 hours, with marginal ($\sim$2$\sigma$) evidence for a $0.1$ hour reduction over the 3.5 yr period, and 3) has a long-short variation in its recurrence time in August 2020, but this pattern is absent from all subsequent observations. The stability of its peak eruption luminosity and that of the quiescent state are notably dissimilar from three previously tracked QPEs (GSN069, eRO-QPE1, eRO-QPE3), which show declines in eruption and quiescent flux over comparable temporal baselines. This stability is even more pronounced in eRO-QPE2 due to its 2.4 hour average recurrence time compared to GSN-069's 9 hour, eRO-QPE1's 16 hour, and eRO-QPE3's 20 hour recurrence times, i.e., this system has undergone 4-8 times more cycles than these other systems over the 3.5 years of observations. We discuss the implications of these observations within the context of some proposed extreme mass ratio inspiral (EMRI) models.

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CSS161010: a luminous, fast blue optical transient with broad blueshifted hydrogen lines

We present ultraviolet, optical and near-infrared photometric and optical spectroscopic observations of the luminous, fast blue optical transient (LFBOT), CSS161010:045834-081803 (CSS161010). The transient was found in a low-redshift (z=0.033) dwarf galaxy. The light curves of CSS161010 are characterized by an extremely fast evolution and blue colours. The V-band light curve shows that CSS161010 reaches an absolute peak of M$_{V}^{max}=-20.66\pm0.06$ mag in 3.8 days from the start of the outburst. After maximum, CSS161010 follows a power-law decline $\propto t^{-2.8\pm0.1}$ in all optical bands. These photometric properties are comparable to those of well-observed LFBOTs such as AT 2018cow, AT 2020mrf and AT 2020xnd. However, unlike these objects, the spectra of CSS161010 show a remarkable transformation from a blue and featureless continuum to spectra dominated by very broad, entirely blueshifted hydrogen emission lines of velocities of up to 10% of the speed of light. The persistent blueshifted emission and the lack of any emission at the rest wavelength of CSS161010 are unique features not seen in any transient before CSS161010. The combined observational properties of CSS161010 and its M$_{*}\sim10^{8}$ M$_\odot$ dwarf galaxy host favour the tidal disruption of a star by an intermediate-mass black hole as its origin.

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A Potential Second Shutoff from AT2018fyk: An updated Orbital Ephemeris of the Surviving Star under the Repeating Partial Tidal Disruption Event Paradigm

The tidal disruption event (TDE) AT2018dyk/ASASSN-18UL showed a rapid dimming event 500 days after discovery, followed by a re-brightening roughly 700 days later. It has been hypothesized that this behavior results from a repeating partial TDE (rpTDE), such that prompt dimmings/shutoffs are coincident with the return of the star to pericenter and rebrightenings generated by the renewed supply of tidally stripped debris. This model predicted that the emission should shut off again around August of 2023. We report AT2018fyk's continued X-ray and UV monitoring, which shows an X-ray (UV) drop in flux by a factor of 10 (5) over a span of two months, starting 14 Aug 2023. This sudden change can be interpreted as the second emission shutoff, which 1) strengthens the rpTDE scenario for AT2018fyk, 2) allows us to constrain the orbital period to a more precise value of 1306$\pm$47 days, and 3) establishes that X-ray and UV/optical emission track the fallback rate onto this SMBH -- an often-made assumption that otherwise lacks observational verification -- and therefore the UV/optical lightcurve is powered predominantly by processes tied to X-rays. The second cutoff implies that another rebrightening should happen between May-Aug 2025, and if the star survived the second encounter, a third shutoff is predicted to occur between Jan-July 2027. Finally, low-level accretion from the less bound debris tail (which is completely unbound/does not contribute to accretion in a non-repeating TDE) can result in a faint X-ray plateau that could be detectable until the next rebrightening.

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Extended emission line regions in post-starburst galaxies hosting tidal disruption events

We report the discovery of an extended emission line region (EELR) in MUSE observations of Markarian 950, a nearby ($z=0.01628$) post-starburst (PSB) galaxy that hosted the tidal disruption event (TDE) iPTF-16fnl. The EELR requires a non-stellar ionizing continuum with a luminosity L$_{\rm ion, min} \gtrsim 10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$, inconsistent with the current weak state (L$_{\rm IR,AGN} < 2.5 \times 10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$) of the galactic nucleus. The ionized gas has low velocity ($\sim$-50 km s$^{-1}$) and low turbulence ($\sigma_{\rm gas} \lesssim$ 50 km s$^{-1}$), and is kinematically decoupled from the stellar motions, indicating that the gas kinematics are not AGN driven. Markarian 950 is the third post-starburst galaxy to host a weak nuclear ionizing source as well as an EELR and a TDE. The overall properties of these three galaxies, including the kinematics and accretion history, are unusual but strikingly similar. We estimate that the incidence of EELRs in PSB-TDE hosts is a factor of $\sim 10 \times$ higher than in other PSB galaxies. This suggests that a gas-rich post-merger environment is a key ingredient in driving elevated TDE rates. Based on the current observations, we cannot rule out that the EELRs may be powered through an elevated TDE rate in these galaxies. If the EELRs are not TDE-powered, the presence of intermittent AGN activity, and in particular the fading of the AGN, may be associated with an increased TDE rate and/or an increased rate of detecting TDEs.

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Sub-relativistic Outflow and Hours-Timescale Large-amplitude X-ray Dips during Super-Eddington Accretion onto a Low-mass Massive Black Hole in the Tidal Disruption Event AT2022lri

We present the tidal disruption event (TDE) AT2022lri, hosted in a nearby ($\approx\!144$ Mpc) quiescent galaxy with a low-mass massive black hole ($10^4\,M_\odot < M_{\rm BH} < 10^6\,M_\odot$). AT2022lri belongs to the TDE-H+He subtype. More than 1 Ms of X-ray data were collected with NICER, Swift, and XMM-Newton from 187 d to 672 d after peak. The X-ray luminosity gradually declined from $1.5\times 10^{44}\,{\rm erg\,s^{-1}}$ to $1.5\times 10^{43}\,{\rm erg\,s^{-1}}$ and remains much above the UV and optical luminosity, consistent with a super-Eddington accretion flow viewed face-on. Sporadic strong X-ray dips atop a long-term decline are observed, with variability timescale of $\approx\!0.5$ hr--1 d and amplitude of $\approx\!2$--8. When fitted with simple continuum models, the X-ray spectrum is dominated by a thermal disk component with inner temperature going from $\sim\! 146$ eV to $\sim\! 86$ eV. However, there are residual features that peak around 1 keV, which, in some cases, cannot be reproduced by a single broad emission line. We analyzed a subset of time-resolved spectra with two physically motivated models describing either a scenario where ionized absorbers contribute extra absorption and emission lines or where disk reflection plays an important role. Both models provide good and statistically comparable fits, show that the X-ray dips are correlated with drops in the inner disk temperature, and require the existence of sub-relativistic (0.1--0.3$c$) ionized outflows. We propose that the disk temperature fluctuation stems from episodic drops of the mass accretion rate triggered by magnetic instabilities or/and wobbling of the inner accretion disk along the black hole's spin axis.

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Lense-Thirring Precession after a Supermassive Black Hole Disrupts a Star

An accretion disk formed around a supermassive black hole (SMBH) after it disrupts a star is expected to be initially misaligned with respect to the black hole's equatorial plane. This misalignment induces relativistic torques (the Lense-Thirring effect) on the disk, causing the disk to precess at early times, while at late times the disk aligns with the black hole and precession terminates. Here, using high-cadence X-ray monitoring observations of a TDE, we report the discovery of strong, quasi-periodic X-ray flux and temperature modulations from a TDE. These X-ray modulations are separated by 17.0$^{+1.2}_{-2.4}$ days and persist for roughly 130 days during the early phase of the TDE. Lense-Thirring precession of the accretion flow can produce this X-ray variability, but other physical mechanisms, such as the radiation-pressure instability, cannot be ruled out. Assuming typical TDE parameters, i.e., a solar-like star with the resulting disk extending at-most to so-called circularization radius, and that the disk precesses as a rigid body, we constrain the disrupting black hole's dimensionless spin parameter to be 0.05<|a|<0.5.

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A Case for a Binary Black Hole System Revealed via Quasi-Periodic Outflows

Binaries containing a compact object orbiting a supermassive black hole are thought to be precursors of gravitational wave events, but their identification has been extremely challenging. Here, we report quasi-periodic variability in X-ray absorption which we interpret as quasi-periodic outflows (QPOuts) from a previously low-luminosity active galactic nucleus after an outburst, likely caused by a stellar tidal disruption. We rule out several models based on observed properties and instead show using general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations that QPOuts, separated by roughly 8.3 days, can be explained with an intermediate-mass black hole secondary on a mildly eccentric orbit at a mean distance of about 100 gravitational radii from the primary. Our work suggests that QPOuts could be a new way to identify intermediate/extreme-mass ratio binary candidates.

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Alive but Barely Kicking: News from 3+ years of Swift and XMM-Newton X-ray Monitoring of Quasi-Periodic Eruptions from eRO-QPE1

Quasi-periodic Eruptions (QPEs) represent a novel class of extragalactic X-ray transients that are known to repeat at roughly regular intervals of a few hours to days. Their underlying physical mechanism is a topic of heated debate, with most models proposing that they originate either from instabilities within the inner accretion flow or from orbiting objects. At present, our knowledge of how QPEs evolve over an extended timescale of multiple years is limited, except for the unique QPE source GSN 069. In this study, we present results from strategically designed Swift observing programs spanning the past three years, aimed at tracking eruptions from eRO-QPE1. Our main results are: 1) the recurrence time of eruptions can vary between 0.6 and 1.2 days, 2) there is no detectable secular trend in evolution of the recurrence times, 3) consistent with prior studies, their eruption profiles can have complex shapes, and 4) the peak flux of the eruptions has been declining over the past 3 years with the eruptions barely detected in the most recent Swift dataset taken in June of 2023. This trend of weakening eruptions has been reported recently in GSN 069. However, because the background luminosity of eRO-QPE1 is below our detection limit, we cannot verify if the weakening is correlated with the background luminosity (as is claimed to be the case for GSN 069). We discuss these findings within the context of various proposed QPE models.

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