Supernova Impostors and other Gap Transients

TL;DR

This paper reviews various astrophysical transients, including supernova impostors and gap transients, focusing on their energy release mechanisms and challenges in distinguishing them from true supernovae.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms behind supernova impostors and gap transients, highlighting their similarities and differences with faint supernovae.

Findings

Many transients release energies comparable to faint supernovae.

Discriminating between different types of transients is often challenging.

Understanding these transients helps clarify stellar explosion phenomena.

Abstract

Besides supernovae, few astrophysical processes can release close to 10^51 erg of energy. A growing number of stellar outbursts are now recognised to have energy releases matching those of faint supernovae. These transients can be triggered by a variety of mechanisms, and their discrimination is sometimes a tricky issue.