Monday

In a series of recent papers we have developed a unification scheme which explains the varied observed properties of TDEs in terms of relatively simple disc physics. This unification scheme postulates that the different observed properties of TDEs are controlled by the peak Eddington ratio of the accretion discs which form following a stellar disruption. Our primary result is that the TDE population can be split into four subpopulations, which are (in order of decreasing peak Eddington ratio): “obscured” UV-bright and X-ray dim TDEs; X-ray bright soft-state TDEs; UV-bright and X-ray dim “cool” TDEs; and X-ray bright hard-state TDEs. These 4 subpopulations of TDEs will occur around black holes of well defined masses, and our unification scheme is therefore directly testable with observations. In addition, our unification scheme makes testable predictions about the observed distribution of TDE peak X-ray luminosities. In this talk I will summarise the various predictions made by this TDE unification scheme, and the disc physics which underlies them. I will then demonstrate that the properties of the existing population of TDEs (~ 40 sources) are in strong agreement with these model predictions.