Changing-look Active Galactic Nuclei Behavior Induced by Disk-captured Tidal Disruption Events

Abstract

Recent observations of changing-look active galactic nuclei (AGNs) hint at a frequency of accretion activity not fully explained by tidal disruption events (TDEs) stemming from relaxation processes in nuclear star clusters (NSCs), traditionally estimated to occur at rates of 10⁻⁴-10⁻⁵ yr⁻¹ per galaxy. In this Letter, we propose an enhanced TDE rate through the AGN disk capture process, presenting a viable explanation for the frequent transitions observed in changing-look AGNs. Specifically, we investigate the interaction between the accretion disk and retrograde stars within NSCs, resulting in the rapid occurrence of TDEs within a condensed time frame. Through detailed calculations, we derive the time-dependent TDE rates for both relaxation-induced TDE and disk-captured TDE. Our analysis reveals that TDEs triggered by the disk capture process can notably amplify the TDE rate by several orders of magnitude during the AGN phase. This mechanism offers a potential explanation for the enhanced high-energy variability characteristic of changing-look AGNs.