Discovery of a Long-Lived, High Amplitude Dusty Infrared Transient

Britt, C. T.; Maccarone, T. J.; Green, J. D.; Jonker, P. G.; Hynes, R. I.; Torres, M. A. P.; Strader, J.; Chomiuk, L.; Salinas, R.; Lucas, P.; Pena, C. Contreras; Kurtev, R.; Heinke, C.; Smith, L.; Wright, N. J.; Johnson, C.; Steeghs, D.; Nelemans, G.

View/Open

Final Published version (PDF, 980Kb)

Author

Britt, C. T.

Maccarone, T. J.

Green, J. D.

Jonker, P. G.

Hynes, R. I.

Torres, M. A. P.

Strader, J.

Chomiuk, L.

Salinas, R.

Lucas, P.

Pena, C. Contreras

Kurtev, R.

Heinke, C.

Smith, L.

Wright, N. J.

Johnson, C.

Steeghs, D.

Nelemans, G.

Abstract

We report the detection of an infrared selected transient which has lasted at least 5 years, first identified by a large mid-infrared and optical outburst from a faint X-ray source detected with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. In this paper we rule out several scenarios for the cause of this outburst, including a classical nova, a luminous red nova, AGN flaring, a stellar merger, and intermediate luminosity optical transients, and interpret this transient as the result of a Young Stellar Object (YSO) of at least solar mass accreting material from the remains of the dusty envelope from which it formed, in isolation from either a dense complex of cold gas or massive star formation. This object does not fit neatly into other existing categories of large outbursts of YSOs (FU Orionis types) which may be a result of the object's mass, age, and environment. It is also possible that this object is a new type of transient unrelated to YSOs.