Physical origin of luminous fast blue optical transients

Determine the physical origin of luminous fast blue optical transients by obtaining additional discoveries, characterizing their host galaxies, and conducting multi-wavelength analyses capable of constraining competing theoretical models.

Background

Luminous fast blue optical transients are rapidly evolving, blue, highly luminous extragalactic transients with emission spanning ultraviolet, optical, X-ray, and radio wavelengths. Their observed properties have motivated several competing explanations, including circumstellar interaction, accretion-powered central engines, compact-object mergers, and tidal disruption events.

The paper states that no firm consensus exists regarding the physical origin of the class. It identifies larger samples, improved host-galaxy characterization, and coordinated multi-wavelength observations as necessary to distinguish among the proposed theoretical scenarios.

References

The physical origin of LFBOTs remains debated with no firm consensus, and further progress requires more discoveries, host-galaxy characterisation, and multi-wavelength analysis to constrain theory.

— AT 2024qfm: a luminous fast blue optical transient at a redshift of z = 0.2267 identified by Lasair-ZTF  (2608.13003 - Fulton et al., 13 Aug 2026) in Abstract