EP250827b/SN 2025wkm: An X-Ray Flash-supernova Powered by a Central Engine and Circumstellar Interaction
EP250827b/SN 2025wkm:中心引擎与星周相互作用驱动的X射线闪-超新星
We present the discovery of EP250827b/SN 2025wkm, an X-ray flash (XRF) discovered by the Einstein Probe (EP), accompanied by a broad-line Type Ic supernova (SN Ic-BL) at z = 0.1194. EP250827b possesses a prompt X-ray luminosity of ∼10<SUP>45</SUP> erg s<SUP>−1</SUP>, lasts over 1000 s, and has a peak energy E<SUB>p</SUB> < 1.5 keV at 90% confidence. SN 2025wkm possesses a double-peaked optical light curve (LC), though its bolometric luminosity plateaus after its initial peak for ∼20 days, consistent with a central engine injecting additional energy into the explosion. Its spectrum transitions from a blue to red continuum with clear blueshifted broad absorption features consistent with a SN Ic-BL classification. We do not detect any transient radio emission and rule out the existence of an on-axis, energetic jet ≳10<SUP>50</SUP> erg assuming a typical LGRB circumburst constant density (n ≍ 10<SUP>−3</SUP>─10<SUP>−1</SUP> cm<SUP>−3</SUP>) and microphysical parameters (ϵ<SUB>e</SUB> = 0.1 and ϵ<SUB>B</SUB> = 0.01). In the model we invoke, the collapse gives rise to a long-lived magnetar, potentially surrounded by an accretion disk. Magnetically driven winds from the magnetar and the disk mix together and break out with a velocity ∼0.35c and interact with an extended circumstellar medium with radius ∼10<SUP>13</SUP> cm, generating X-ray breakout emission through nonthermal free─free processes. The disk outflows and magnetar winds power blackbody photospheric emission as they cool adiabatically and thermalize, producing the first SN peak. The spin-down luminosity of the magnetar and radioactive decay of <SUP>56</SUP>Ni power the late-time emission. We end by discussing the landscape of XRF-SNe within the context of EP's recent discoveries.
展开 ▾首次揭示X射线闪-超新星的双峰光变由中心引擎持续能量注入与星周物质相互作用共同塑造;极低峰值能量(<1.5 keV)和非热自由-自由过程产生X射线爆,突破传统喷流模型。
该发现继承了对低光度伽马暴与核坍缩超新星成协的研究脉络,但EP250827b的超长时标和特低能量挑战了以相对论喷流为核心的解释框架。作者构建的磁星-星周相互作用模型为统一理解X射线闪、超新星及中心引擎活动提供了新途径。随着EP等大视场X射线巡天项目的推进,未来有望捕捉更多此类低能暂现源,揭示致密天体形成与能量反馈的多样性,并检验磁星驱动机制在更大参数空间下的适用性。
接收 2026-05-05 · 刊出 2026-07-22 · 收录 2026-07-28