ASASSN-18ap: A Dusty Tidal Disruption Event Candidate with an Early Bump in the Light Curve

Abstract

We reexamined the classification of the optical transient ASASSN-18ap, which was initially identified as a supernova (SN) upon its discovery. Based on newly emerged phenomena, such as a delayed luminous infrared outburst and the emergence of luminous coronal emission lines, we suggest that ASASSN-18ap is more likely a tidal disruption event (TDE) in a dusty environment, rather than an SN. The total energy in the infrared outburst is 3.1 × 1051 erg, which is an order of magnitude higher than the total energy in the optical-to-UV range, indicating a large dust extinction, an extra-extreme ultraviolet component, or anisotropic continuum emission. A bumpy feature appeared in the optical light curve at the start of brightening, which was reported in a couple of TDEs very recently. This early bump may have been overlooked in the past, due to the lack of sufficient sampling of the light curves of most TDEs during their ascending phase, and it could provide insight into the origin of optical emission.