AT2023fhn (the Finch): a luminous fast blue optical transient at a large offset from its host galaxy-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

AT2023fhn (the Finch): a luminous fast blue optical transient at a large offset from its host galaxy

Published:2023-10-04 Issue:1 Volume:527 Page:L47-L53
ISSN:1745-3925
Container-title:Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
language:en
Short-container-title:

Author:

Chrimes A A¹²^ORCID,Jonker P G²³,Levan A J²⁴,Coppejans D L⁴,Gaspari N²^ORCID,Gompertz B P⁵^ORCID,Groot P J²⁶⁷,Malesani D B²⁸⁹^ORCID,Mummery A¹⁰,Stanway E R⁴^ORCID,Wiersema K¹¹^ORCID

Affiliation:

1. European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), European Space Agency (ESA) , Keplerlaan 1, NL-2201 AZ Noordwijk , the Netherlands

2. Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University , PO Box 9010, NL-6500 GL Nijmegen , the Netherlands

3. SRON, Netherlands Institute for Space Research , Niels Bohrweg 4, NL-2333 CA Leiden , the Netherlands

4. Department of Physics, University of Warwick , Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL , UK

5. Institute of Gravitational Wave Astronomy and School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham , Birmingham B15 2TT , UK

6. Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy, Department of Astronomy, University of Cape Town , Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701 , South Africa

7. South African Astronomical Observatory , P.O. Box 9, 7935 Observatory , South Africa

8. Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN) , Denmark

9. Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 128, DK-2200 Copenhagen N , Denmark

10. Oxford Astrophysics , Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH , UK

11. Centre for Astrophysics Research, University of Hertfordshire , Hatfield AL10 9AB , UK

Abstract

ABSTRACT Luminous fast blue optical transients (LFBOTs) – the prototypical example being AT 2018cow – are a rare class of events whose origins are poorly understood. They are characterized by rapid evolution, featureless blue spectra at early times, and luminous X-ray and radio emission. LFBOTs thus far have been found exclusively at small projected offsets from star-forming host galaxies. We present Hubble Space Telescope, Gemini, Chandra, and Very Large Array observations of a new LFBOT, AT 2023fhn. The Hubble Space Telescope data reveal a large offset (>3.5 half-light radii) from the two closest galaxies, both at redshift z ∼ 0.24. The location of AT 2023fhn is in stark contrast with previous events, and demonstrates that LFBOTs can occur in a range of galactic environments.

Funder

NWO

University of Warwick

NASA

ESA

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

National Science Foundation

Associated Universities, Inc.

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Subject

Space and Planetary Science,Astronomy and Astrophysics