Light-curve modelling for the initial rising phase of rapidly evolving transients powered by continuous outflow

Abstract

ABSTRACT A wind-driven model is a new framework to model observational properties of transients that are powered by continuous outflow from a central system. While it has been applied to fast blue optical transients (FBOTs), the applicability has been limited to post-peak behaviours due to the steady-state assumptions; non-steady-state physics, e.g. expanding outflow, is important to model the initial rising phase. In this paper, we construct a time-dependent wind-driven model, which can take into account the expanding outflow and the time evolution of the outflow rate. We apply the model to a sample of well-observed FBOTs. FBOTs require high outflow rates (∼30 M⊙ yr−1) and fast velocities (∼0.2–0.3c), with the typical ejecta mass and energy budget of ∼0.2 M⊙ and ∼1052 erg, respectively. The energetic outflow supports the idea that the central engine of FBOTs may be related to a relativistic object, e.g. a black hole. The initial photospheric temperature is 105 –106 K, which suggests that FBOTs will show ultraviolet (UV) or X-ray flash similar to supernova shock breakouts. We discuss future prospects of surveys and follow-up observations of FBOTs in the UV bands. FBOTs are brighter in the UV bands than in the optical bands, and the time-scale is a bit longer than that in optical wavelengths. We suggest that UV telescopes with a wide field of view can play a key role in discovering FBOTs and characterizing their natures.