Astrophysics Webinar

Astrophysical transients are signposts of catastrophic events associated with stellar demise. The recent advent of high-cadence optical surveys is populating the phase space of explosive transients with many more short-time-scale events, expanding the known diversity of cosmic explosions. Understanding the progenitors of these different classes of transients and what they leave behind remains a central challenge in time-domain astronomy. Radiative emission produced by the interaction between the fastest outflows from these explosions with the surrounding medium provides a powerful tool to answer these questions. In this talk, I will present my work on extensive monitoring of two remarkable events: (1) SN2023ixf, the nearest supernova of the last decade, (2) AT2024wpp, the brightest Fast Blue Optical Transient (FBOT) to date. 

The multi-wavelength campaign on SN2023ixf provides an unprecedented temporal and spectral view of the shock interaction, placing tight constraints on the shock microphysics and the complex circumstellar medium. AT2024wpp emerges as the best-observed FBOT to date, with stringent limits on progenitor models that favor super-Eddington accretion onto a compact object launching mildly relativistic outflows. The next generation of transient discovery engines, including Rubin-LSST, LS4, ngVLA, DSA2000, and the SKA, will revolutionize time-domain astronomy by mapping the dynamic sky with unprecedented cadence and depth. I will conclude by outlining my vision for using these facilities to address some of the most fundamental open questions in transient astrophysics over the coming decade.