Fast blue optical transient
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In astronomy, a fast blue optical transient (FBOT), or more specifically, luminous fast blue optical transient (LFBOT), is an explosive transient event similar to supernovae and gamma-ray bursts with high optical luminosity, rapid evolution, and predominantly blue emission. The origins of such explosions are currently unclear, with events occurring at not more than 0.1% of the typical core-collapse supernova rate. This class of transients initially emerged from large sky surveys at cosmological distances, yet in recent years a small number have been discovered in the local Universe, most notably AT 2018cow.
The precise definition of what constitutes a 'fast blue optical transient' is currently contentious in the literature, largely defined by the observational properties rather than the underlying mechanisms/objects. Even within the class, growing samples of candidates are beginning to reveal significant variation in properties when the objects are studied in greater detail, potentially indicative of different progenitor channels or explosion mechanisms.
List
| Transient | Reported | Date | Observatory | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT 2018cow | 2018 | 16 June 2018 | ATLAS-HKO | "The Cow", the most local FBOT known, and the event with the richest dataset, making it a prototype of the class. Peak luminosity L p k ∼ 10 44 {\displaystyle L_{pk}\sim 10^{44}}erg s⁻¹, exceeding that of superluminous supernovae |
| ZTF18abvkwla (AT 2018lug) | 2020 | 12 September 2018 | Zwicky Transient Facility | "The Koala" Blackbody temperature of over 40,000 Kelvin at peak |
| CSS161010 | 2020 | 10 October 2016 | CRTS | Shows mildly relativistic (55% the speed of light) mass outflows |
| AT 2020xnd (ZTF20acigmel) | 2021 | 12 October 2020 | Zwicky Transient Facility | "The Camel" |
| AT 2020mrf | 2022 | 12 June 2020 | Spektr-RG, Zwicky Transient Facility | 200 times more luminous on the X-ray spectrum at its peak than AT 2018cow and CSS161010 |
| AT 2022tsd | 2023 | 7 September 2022 | Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, Zwicky Transient Facility | "The Tasmanian Devil", minutes-duration optical flares suggestive of a NS/BH from a failed supernova event. |
| AT 2023fhn | 2023 | 10 April 2023 | Zwicky Transient Facility | "The Finch" or "The Fawn" |
| AT 2023vth (ZTF23ableqsp) | 2023 | 18 October 2023 | Zwicky Transient Facility | First FBOT to be labelled as such on the Transient Name Server. |
| AT 2024wpp | 2024 | 26 September 2024 | Zwicky Transient Facility | "The wasp" (tentatively), brightest FBOT at time of discovery with peak at −21.9 mag |
| AT 2025wap (ZTF25abkgjzb) | 2025 | 21 August 2025 | Zwicky Transient Facility |
- Comparison of explosion scenarios of supernovae (SN), gamma-ray bursts (GRB) and fast blue optical transients (FBOT)
- Bolometric luminosity of AT2018cow, compared against other fast transients, showing a very rapid evolution and high peak luminosity
- Optical spectra of AT2018cow, revealing a hot blackbody emission, with significant flux bluewards of (4000 Å)
- X-ray luminosity of FBOTs compared with other astronomical transients
- Star formation rate diagram for FBOTs.
- Multi-wavelength composite (X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared) of AT 2024wpp, the most luminous LFBOT observed to date, at the edge of its host galaxy 1.1 billion light-years from Earth.
See also
External links
- on YouTube (2016; Harvard University)