2026ApJ...997L..10L


Query : 2026ApJ...997L..10L

2026ApJ...997L..10L - Astrophys. J., 997, L10 (2026/January-3)

The Most Luminous Known Fast Blue Optical Transient AT 2024wpp: Unprecedented Evolution and Properties in the Ultraviolet to the Near-infrared.

LEBARON N., MARGUTTI R., CHORNOCK R., NAYANA A.J., ASPEGREN O., LU W., METZGER B.D., KASEN D., BRINK T.G., CAMPANA S., D'AVANZO P., FABER J.T., FERRO M., FILIPPENKO A.V., FOLEY R.J., GUO X., HAMMERSTEIN E., JHA S.W., KILPATRICK C.D., MIGLIORI G., MILISAVLJEVIC D., PATRA K.C., SEARS H., SWIFT J.J., TINYANONT S., RAVI V., YAO Y., ALEXANDER K.D., ARUNACHALAM P., BERGER E., BRIGHT J.S., CYNAMON C., DAVIS K.W., GARRETSON B., GUHATHAKURTA P., JACOBSON-GALAN W.V., JONES D.O., KAUR R., KIMURA S., LASKAR T., NUNEZ M., SCHWAB M., SORAISAM M.D., SUZUKI N., TAGGART K., WISTON E., YANG Y. and ZHENG W.

Abstract (from CDS):

We present an extensive photometric and spectroscopic ultraviolet-optical-infrared campaign on the luminous fast blue optical transient (LFBOT) AT 2024wpp over the first ∼100 days. AT 2024wpp is the most luminous LFBOT discovered to date, with Lpk ≈ (2-4) × 1045 erg s–1 (5-10 times that of the prototypical AT 2018cow). This extreme luminosity enabled the acquisition of the most detailed LFBOT UV light curve thus far. In the first ∼45 days, AT 2024wpp radiated >1051 erg, surpassing AT 2018cow by an order of magnitude and requiring a power source beyond the radioactive 56Ni decay of traditional supernovae. Like AT 2018cow, the UV-optical spectrum of AT 2024wpp is dominated by a persistently blue thermal continuum throughout our monitoring, with blackbody parameters at a peak of T > 30,000 K and RBB/t ≈ 0.2c-0.3c. We find evidence for cooling until ∼10 days; thereafter, T ≳ 20,000 K is maintained. We interpret the featureless spectra as a consequence of continuous energy injection from a central source of high-energy emission that maintains high ejecta ionization. After 35 days, faint (equivalent width (EW) ≲ 10 Å) H and He spectral features with kinematically separate velocity components centered at 0 and -6400 km s–1 emerge, implying spherical symmetry deviations. A near-infrared excess of emission above the optical blackbody emerges between 20 and 30 days, with a power-law spectrum Fν,NIR ∝ ν–0.3 at 30 days. We interpret this distinct emission component as either reprocessing of early UV emission in a dust echo or free-free emission in an extended medium above the optical photosphere. LFBOT asphericity and multiple outflow components (including mildly relativistic ejecta), together with the large radiated energy, are naturally realized by super-Eddington accretion disks around neutron stars or black holes and their outflows.

Abstract Copyright: © 2026. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

Journal keyword(s): Transient sources - High energy astrophysics

Simbad objects: 24

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Number of rows : 24
N Identifier Otype ICRS (J2000)
RA
ICRS (J2000)
DEC
Mag U Mag B Mag V Mag R Mag I Sp type #ref
1850 - 2026
#notes
1 AT 2018lug ev 02 00 15.19 +16 47 57.3           ~ 54 0
2 SN 2024wpp SN* 02 42 05.4989272 -16 57 22.896653           ~ 6 0
3 HD 17224 * 02 45 18.3841693080 -20 24 05.924582388   7.18 7.11     A0V 18 0
4 HD 19622 Pu* 03 08 54.1881355392 -18 58 09.210658116   7.23 7.19     A0V 17 0
5 AT 2022tsd ev 03 20 10.863 +08 44 55.63           ~ 18 0
6 SN 2025kg SN* 03 42 28.389 -22 30 21.28           SNIc-BL 26 0
7 CRTS CSS161010 J045834-081803 ev 04 58 34.0 -08 18 03           ~ 35 0
8 2MASS J07482067+4712138 G 07 48 20.6613335097 +47 12 14.238929915           ~ 40 0
9 AT 2020wey ev 09 05 25.88 +61 48 09.2           ~ 45 0
10 2MASS J10065085+0141342 G 10 06 50.8773292152 +01 41 34.006164648   18.082   17.032   SNII 127 0
11 AT 2023fhn ev 10 08 03.815 +21 04 26.95           ~ 15 0
12 2MASS J11084011+3405523 G 11 08 40.1149579272 +34 05 52.337925924           ~ 142 0
13 SN 2022aedm SN* 11 19 27.597 +03 06 34.28           ~ 5 0
14 AT 2020bot ev 11 31 13.75 +34 30 00.7           ~ 4 0
15 NAME Dougie V* 12 08 47.9 +43 01 21           ~ 25 0
16 ASASSN -22ci ev 12 20 45.010 +49 33 04.68           ~ 31 0
17 PSN K0905-001 SN? 14 57 03.10 +49 36 40.8           ~ 85 0
18 SN 2020mrf SN* 15 47 54.163 +44 39 07.41           SNII 37 0
19 SN 2018cow SN* 16 16 00.254 +22 16 05.10           SNIb 305 0
20 AT 2024puz ev 17 31 20.651 +53 24 14.94           ~ 4 0
21 ASASSN -15oi SN* 20 39 09.096 -30 45 20.71           ~ 184 0
22 AT 2020xnd ev 22 20 02.030 -02 50 25.30           ~ 66 0
23 SN 2009ip s*b 22 23 08.26 -28 56 52.4           LBV 406 0
24 AT 2024qfm ev 23 21 23.461 +11 56 32.04           ~ 2 0

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