First definitive X-ray shock breakout from a Type Ic-BL supernova, with radio constraints and a rate calculation implying most such supernovae produce fainter signals than observed here.
Discovery of a new kind of explosive X-ray transient near M86
3 Pith papers cite this work. Polarity classification is still indexing.
abstract
We present the discovery of a new type of explosive X-ray flash in Chandra images of the old elliptical galaxy M86. This unique event is characterised by the peak luminosity of 6x10^42 erg/s for the distance of M86, the presence of precursor events, the timescale between the precursors and the main event (~4,000 s), the absence of detectable hard X-ray and gamma-ray emission, the total duration of the event and the detection of a faint associated optical signal. The transient is located close to M86 in the Virgo cluster at the location where gas and stars are seen protruding from the galaxy probably due to an ongoing wet minor merger. We discuss the possible mechanisms for the transient and we conclude that the X-ray flash could have been caused by the disruption of a compact white dwarf star by a ~10^4 Msun black hole. Alternative scenarios such that of a foreground neutron star accreting an asteroid or the detection of an off-axis (short) gamma-ray burst cannot be excluded at present.
fields
astro-ph.HE 3years
2026 3verdicts
UNVERDICTED 3representative citing papers
EP251023a is a new extragalactic fast X-ray transient whose optical light curve is interpreted as a rare magnetar-powered internal plateau with derived upper limits on spin period and magnetic field.
EP260321a is identified as the faintest shock breakout X-ray transient associated with broad-lined Ic supernova SN 2026gzf, interpreted as originating from a mildly relativistic weak outflow choked inside the progenitor star.
citing papers explorer
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A Multi-Wavelength View of the First Type Ic-BL Supernova with an Einstein Probe X-ray Shock Breakout
First definitive X-ray shock breakout from a Type Ic-BL supernova, with radio constraints and a rate calculation implying most such supernovae produce fainter signals than observed here.
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EP251023a: A fast X-ray transient featuring a magnetar-powered optical internal plateau followed by a steep decay
EP251023a is a new extragalactic fast X-ray transient whose optical light curve is interpreted as a rare magnetar-powered internal plateau with derived upper limits on spin period and magnetic field.
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EP260321a/SN 2026gzf: The Faintest Shock Breakout Associated with a Broad-Lined Supernova
EP260321a is identified as the faintest shock breakout X-ray transient associated with broad-lined Ic supernova SN 2026gzf, interpreted as originating from a mildly relativistic weak outflow choked inside the progenitor star.