Origin of QPE host variability

Determine the physical origin of the nuclear variability observed in the host galaxies of quasi-periodic eruption sources, in order to establish how such variability relates to the production and properties of quasi-periodic eruptions.

Background

Quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are found in galactic nuclei that often exhibit prior or concurrent nuclear activity resembling AGN-like or TDE-like behavior, including extreme coronal lines and rapidly evolving ionization features. Understanding whether this host variability is causally connected to QPE production or is instead an independent phenomenon is central to interpreting QPE demographics and energetics.

The paper reviews several observed cases and emphasizes that, despite growing datasets, the physical driver of the host variability in systems showing QPEs has not been identified. Clarifying this connection would inform models of star–disk collisions, disk instabilities, or companion-driven interactions invoked to explain QPEs.