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arXiv · 2410.02315

A fast X-ray transient from a weak relativistic jet associated with a type Ic-BL supernova

H. Sun·W. -X. Li·L. -D. Liu·H. Gao·X. -F. Wang·W. Yuan·B. Zhang·A. V. Filippenko·D. Xu·T. An·S. Ai·T. G. Brink·Y. Liu·Y. -Q. Liu·C. -Y. Wang·Q. -Y. Wu·X. -F. Wu·Y. Yang·B. -B. Zhang·W. -K. Zheng·T. Ahumada·Z. -G. Dai·J. Delaunay·N. Elias-Rosa·S. Benetti·S. -Y. Fu·D. A. Howell·Y. -F. Huang·M. M. Kasliwal·V. Karambelkar·R. Stein·W. -H. Lei·T. -Y. Lian·Z. -K. Peng·D. D. Frederiks·A. V. Ridnaia·D. S. Svinkin·X. -Y. Wang·A. -L. Wang·D. -M. Wei·J. An·M. Andrews·J. -M Bai·C. -Y. Dai·S. A. Ehgamberdiev·Z. Fan·J. Farah·H. -C. Feng·J. P. U. Fynbo·W. -J. Guo·Z. Guo·M. -K. Hu·J. -W. Hu·S. -Q. Jiang·J. -J. Jin·A. Li·J. -D. Li·R. -Z. Li·Y. -F. Liang·Z. -X. Ling·X. Liu·J. -R. Mao·C. McCully·D. Mirzaqulov·M. Newsome·E. Padilla Gonzalez·X. Pan·G. Terreran·S. Tinyanont·B. -T. Wang·L. -Z. Wang·X. -D. Wen·D. -F. Xiang·S. -J. Xue·J. Yang·Z. -P. Zhu·Z. -M. Cai·A. J. Castro-Tirado·F. -S. Chen·H. -L. Chen·T. -X. Chen·W. Chen·Y. -H. Chen·Y. -F. Chen·Y. Chen·H. -Q. Cheng·B. Cordier·C. -Z. Cui·W. -W. Cui·Y. -F. Dai·D. -W. Fan·H. Feng·J. Guan·D. -W. Han·D. -J. Hou·H. -B. Hu·M. -H. Huang·J. Huo·S. -M. Jia·Z. -Q. Jia
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Abstract

Massive stars end their lives as core-collapse supernovae, amongst which some extremes are broad-lined type Ic supernovae from Wolf-Rayet stars associated with long-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) having powerful relativistic jets. Their less-extreme brethren make unsuccessful jets that are choked inside the stars, appearing as X-ray flashes or low-luminosity GRBs. On the other hand, there exists a population of extragalactic fast X-ray transients (EFXTs) with timescales ranging from seconds to thousands of seconds, whose origins remain obscure. Here, we report the discovery of the bright X-ray transient EP240414a detected by the Einstein Probe (EP), which is associated with the type Ic supernova SN 2024gsa at a redshift of 0.401. The X-ray emission evolution is characterised by a very soft energy spectrum peaking at $< 1.3$ keV, which makes it different from known LGRBs, X-ray flashes, or low-luminosity GRBs. Follow-up observations at optical and radio bands revealed the existence of a weak relativistic jet that interacts with an extended shell surrounding the progenitor star. Located on the outskirts of a massive galaxy, this event reveals a new population of explosions of Wolf-Rayet stars characterised by a less powerful engine that drives a successful but weak jet, possibly owing to a progenitor star with a smaller core angular momentum than in traditional LGRB progenitors.

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H. Sun, W. -X. Li, L. -D. Liu, H. Gao, X. -F. Wang, W. Yuan, B. Zhang, A. V. Filippenko, D. Xu, T. An, S. Ai, T. G. Brink, Y. Liu, Y. -Q. Liu, C. -Y. Wang, Q. -Y. Wu, X. -F. Wu, Y. Yang, B. -B. Zhang, W. -K. Zheng, T. Ahumada, Z. -G. Dai, J. Delaunay, N. Elias-Rosa, S. Benetti, S. -Y. Fu, D. A. Howell, Y. -F. Huang, M. M. Kasliwal, V. Karambelkar, R. Stein, W. -H. Lei, T. -Y. Lian, Z. -K. Peng, D. D. Frederiks, A. V. Ridnaia, D. S. Svinkin, X. -Y. Wang, A. -L. Wang, D. -M. Wei, J. An, M. Andrews, J. -M Bai, C. -Y. Dai, S. A. Ehgamberdiev, Z. Fan, J. Farah, H. -C. Feng, J. P. U. Fynbo, W. -J. Guo, Z. Guo, M. -K. Hu, J. -W. Hu, S. -Q. Jiang, J. -J. Jin, A. Li, J. -D. Li, R. -Z. Li, Y. -F. Liang, Z. -X. Ling, X. Liu, J. -R. Mao, C. McCully, D. Mirzaqulov, M. Newsome, E. Padilla Gonzalez, X. Pan, G. Terreran, S. Tinyanont, B. -T. Wang, L. -Z. Wang, X. -D. Wen, D. -F. Xiang, S. -J. Xue, J. Yang, Z. -P. Zhu, Z. -M. Cai, A. J. Castro-Tirado, F. -S. Chen, H. -L. Chen, T. -X. Chen, W. Chen, Y. -H. Chen, Y. -F. Chen, Y. Chen, H. -Q. Cheng, B. Cordier, C. -Z. Cui, W. -W. Cui, Y. -F. Dai, D. -W. Fan, H. Feng, J. Guan, D. -W. Han, D. -J. Hou, H. -B. Hu, M. -H. Huang, J. Huo, S. -M. Jia, Z. -Q. Jia. 2025-07-14. A fast X-ray transient from a weak relativistic jet associated with a type Ic-BL supernova. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02571-1

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