The Elusive Class of Ambiguous Nuclear Transients: Observational Trends, Physical Interpretations, and Open Questions

Explore a 32-minute conference talk on ambiguous nuclear transients, their observational trends, physical interpretations, and open questions. Delivered by Jason Hinkle from Hawaii at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics' "Anticipating the Rising Tide of Tidal Disruption Events" conference. Delve into the complexities of tidal disruption events (TDEs), where stars are destroyed by supermassive black holes, and examine how these phenomena provide insights into galactic nuclei and central black holes. Learn about recent advances in TDE detection, theoretical uncertainties in modeling, and the challenges in using TDEs to decipher black hole demographics across cosmic time. Gain perspective on the connections between TDEs, variable Active Galactic Nuclei, and X-ray binaries, and understand the most pressing questions in TDE theory and observation.