The rate of stellar tidal disruption flares from SDSS data

Abstract

We report an observational estimate of the rate of stellar tidal disruption flares (TDFs), based on our (successful) search for these events in archival Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) multi-epoch imaging data. Our pipeline took advantage of the excellent astrometry of SDSS to separate nuclear flares from supernovae. The 10 year baseline and the high cadence of the observations facilitate a clear-cut identification of variable active galactic nuclei. We found 186 nuclear flares, of which two are excellent TDF candidates. To compute the rate of (optical) stellar tidal disruption events, we simulate our entire pipeline to obtain the efficiency of detection for a given light curve. Using a simple model to extrapolate the observed light curves forward and backward in time, we find our best-estimate of the TDF rate: 3x10-5 per galaxy per year. In addition, we give a model-independent upper limit to the TDF rate: < 3x10-4 per galaxy per year (90% CL).