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Updated: Jul 11, 2025
11:20
Investigation of Early Plasma Evolution Induced by Ultrashort Laser Pulses
Published on: July 2, 2012
15.0K
Minutes-duration optical flares with supernova luminosities.
Anna Y Q Ho1, Daniel A Perley2, Ping Chen3
1Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. annayqho@cornell.edu.
Nature
|November 15, 2023
Summary
Astronomers observed rapid optical flares from the AT2022tsd transient, suggesting a powerful, compact energy source. This finding supports the idea that some extragalactic optical transients are powered by magnetars or accreting black holes.
Area of Science:
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- High-Energy Astrophysics
- Transient Events
Background:
- Luminous extragalactic optical transients lasting only days differ from typical supernovae.
- AT2018cow-like transients exhibit blue colors and strong radio/X-ray emission, hinting at unique energy sources.
- Previous observations suggested embedded energy sources in AT2018cow-like transients, including X-ray variability and UV emission.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the nature of the AT2018cow-like transient AT2022tsd.
- To characterize the energetic phenomena following the AT2022tsd event.
- To confirm the presence and type of compact object powering these transients.
Main Methods:
- Observation of optical flares from AT2022tsd over several months.
- Analysis of flare duration, energy, and spectral properties.
- Comparison with known transient phenomena and theoretical models.
Main Results:
- Discovery of minutes-duration optical flares in the aftermath of AT2022tsd.
- Flares were highly energetic and likely nonthermal in origin.
- Evidence points towards a near-relativistic outflow or jet from the transient source.
Conclusions:
- The observed flares confirm a compact energy source for AT2022cow-like transients.
- The energy source is likely a magnetar or an accreting black hole.
- These findings advance our understanding of short-duration extragalactic optical transients.
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