Astronomers have identified a peculiar cosmic phenomenon, dubbed the "Platypus," that could bridge two enigmatic categories of cosmic flares. Discovered using the Palomar Observatory near San Diego, the Platypus is a bright blip in a distant galaxy that has captivated scientists with its unique characteristics. This extraordinary flare was first observed in July, and its distinct properties make it a subject of intense study.
The Platypus's luminosity was a striking feature, shining 100 times brighter than all the stars in its host galaxy. It illuminated the cosmos for two weeks, a duration that sets it apart from typical LFBOTs (luminous fast blue optical transients), which generally evolve over just a few days. This exceptional flare originated from the outskirts of a tiny galaxy approximately 6.5 billion light-years from Earth.
Astronomers, led by Vikram Ravi from Caltech, are eager to unravel the mystery behind the Platypus. They aim to conduct simultaneous observations using the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope to better understand its origins. The Platypus shares similarities with two known phenomena: LFBOTs, which are thought to be a class of exploding stars, and tidal disruption events, which occur when a star is torn apart by a black hole.
"It's just a remarkably bright source, brighter than really almost anything we've seen before," remarked Jean Somalwar, an astrophysicist at Caltech and coauthor of the study.
The research team sought evidence of tidal disruption events around intermediate-mass black holes, which have masses several thousand times that of the sun. This pursuit aligns with the hypothesis that such black holes could be responsible for the Platypus-like events.
“We think an intermediate-mass black hole is a really good candidate,” added Somalwar.
The upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile is expected to play a crucial role in uncovering more events akin to the Platypus. If such occurrences are abundant in the universe, this could significantly advance our understanding of cosmic flares.
“These are the progenitors, or the seeds, of supermassive black holes,” stated Somalwar, indicating the potential significance of the Platypus in explaining the formation of supermassive black holes.
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