ESA Science & Technology - An Embedded X-Ray Source Shines through the Aspherical AT 2018cow: Revealing the Inner Workings of the Most Luminous Fast-evolving Optical Transients

Publication date: 06 February 2019

Authors: Margutti, R., et al.

Journal: The Astrophysical Journal
Volume: 872
Issue: 1
Page: 18
Year: 2019

Copyright: © 2019. The American Astronomical Society

We present the first extensive radio to γ-ray observations of a fast-rising blue optical transient, AT 2018cow, over its first ~100 days. AT 2018cow rose over a few days to a peak luminosity L_pk ~ 4 × 10⁴⁴ erg s^-1, exceeding that of superluminous supernovae (SNe), before declining as L ∝ t^-2. Initial spectra at δt ≲ 15 days were mostly featureless and indicated large expansion velocities v ~ 0.1c and temperatures reaching T ~ 3 × 10⁴ K. Later spectra revealed a persistent optically thick photosphere and the emergence of H and He emission features with v ~ 4000 km s^-1 with no evidence for ejecta cooling. Our broadband monitoring revealed a hard X-ray spectral component at E ≥ 10 keV, in addition to luminous and highly variable soft X-rays, with properties unprecedented among astronomical transients. An abrupt change in the X-ray decay rate and variability appears to accompany the change in optical spectral properties. AT 2018cow showed bright radio emission consistent with the interaction of a blast wave with v_sh ~ 0.1c with a dense environment (Ṁ ~ 10^-3–10^-4 M_☉yr^-1 for v_w = 1000 km s^-1). While these properties exclude ⁵⁶Ni-powered transients, our multiwavelength analysis instead indicates that AT 2018cow harbored a "central engine," either a compact object (magnetar or black hole) or an embedded internal shock produced by interaction with a compact, dense circumstellar medium. The engine released ~10⁵⁰–10^51.5 erg over ~10³–10⁵ s and resides within low-mass fast-moving material with equatorial–polar density asymmetry (M_ej,fast ≲ 0.3 M_☉). Successful SNe from low-mass H-rich stars (like electron-capture SNe) or failed explosions from blue supergiants satisfy these constraints. [Remainder of abstract truncated due to character limitation]