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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0The Astrophysical Journal Letters

Unravelling the Nature of AT2025abao: From Precursor to Final Fate

  • Zhuo 卓 Chen 陈1
  • Yingzhen 英朕 Cui 崔2
  • Tianshu 天枢 Wu 吴1
  • Yongzhi 永志 Cai 蔡3,4
  • Hongwei 宏伟 Ge 葛3,2,5
  • Andrea Reguitti4
  • Minxuan Cai6
  • Lulu 璐璐 Fan 范6,7,8
  • Ji-An 继安 Jiang 姜6,9
  • Tinggui 挺贵 Wang 王6
  • Zelin 则林 Xu 徐6
  • Jie 杰 Lin 林6
9 affiliations
  1. 1Tsinghua University
  2. 2Chinese Academy of Sciences
  3. 3Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
  4. 4INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova
  5. 5University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
  6. 6University of Science and Technology of China
  7. 7Guizhou University
  8. 8Deep Space Exploration Laboratory
  9. 9National Institutes of Natural Sciences
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Abstract

Luminous red novae (LRNe) are potential signatures of common envelope evolution (CEE), a critical yet poorly understood phase in compact-binary formation. AT2025abao, an LRN in the Andromeda galaxy, originated from an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) progenitor and exhibited a prolonged pre-outburst transient. Lacking direct constraints on the companion, however, the system’s evolutionary fate remains unclear. Here, we unravel the binary nature of AT2025abao by modeling its complete evolution, from precursor to final outcome. We show that the 8 yr infrared precursor arises from a ~ 1 . 4 − 0.3 + 0.2 M ⊙ main-sequence companion inspiralling through the wind of a ∼6.9 M ⊙ AGB star. As CEE commences, the companion plunges into the envelope and launches a shock. Radiation hydrodynamic modeling of this outburst constrains the total ejecta mass to ∼0.92 M ⊙ and energy to ∼1.25 × 10 ⁴⁷ erg, revealing that only ∼0.57 M ⊙ becomes unbound. Subsequent radiative transfer simulations successfully reproduce the evolving spectral energy distribution. Crucially, our models indicate the main-sequence companion and AGB core survive in an eccentric orbit without merging at least 400 days after CEE onset. AT2025abao may therefore be the first observed CEE event caught forming a close compact binary, bridging a long-standing observational gap in compact-binary formation.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{陈2026unravelling,
  title = {{Unravelling the Nature of AT2025abao: From Precursor to Final Fate}},
  author = {Zhuo 卓 Chen 陈 and Yingzhen 英朕 Cui 崔 and Tianshu 天枢 Wu 吴 and Yongzhi 永志 Cai 蔡 and Hongwei 宏伟 Ge 葛 and Andrea Reguitti and Minxuan Cai and Lulu 璐璐 Fan 范 and Ji-An 继安 Jiang 姜 and Tinggui 挺贵 Wang 王 and Zelin 则林 Xu 徐 and Jie 杰 Lin 林},
  journal = {The Astrophysical Journal Letters},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3847/2041-8213/aeb126},
  url = {https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aeb126},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Unravelling the Nature of AT2025abao: From Precursor to Final Fate
AU  - Zhuo 卓 Chen 陈
AU  - Yingzhen 英朕 Cui 崔
AU  - Tianshu 天枢 Wu 吴
AU  - Yongzhi 永志 Cai 蔡
AU  - Hongwei 宏伟 Ge 葛
AU  - Andrea Reguitti
AU  - Minxuan Cai
AU  - Lulu 璐璐 Fan 范
AU  - Ji-An 继安 Jiang 姜
AU  - Tinggui 挺贵 Wang 王
AU  - Zelin 则林 Xu 徐
AU  - Jie 杰 Lin 林
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/23
JO  - The Astrophysical Journal Letters
DO  - 10.3847/2041-8213/aeb126
UR  - https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aeb126
AB  - Luminous red novae (LRNe) are potential signatures of common envelope evolution (CEE), a critical yet poorly understood phase in compact-binary formation. AT2025abao, an LRN in the Andromeda galaxy, originated from an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) progenitor and exhibited a prolonged pre-outburst transient. Lacking direct constraints on the companion, however, the system’s evolutionary fate remains unclear. Here, we unravel the binary nature of AT2025abao by modeling its complete evolution, from precursor to final outcome. We show that the 8 yr infrared precursor arises from a ~ 1 . 4 − 0.3 + 0.2 M ⊙ main-sequence companion inspiralling through the wind of a ∼6.9 M ⊙ AGB star. As CEE commences, the companion plunges into the envelope and launches a shock. Radiation hydrodynamic modeling of this outburst constrains the total ejecta mass to ∼0.92 M ⊙ and energy to ∼1.25 × 10 ⁴⁷ erg, revealing that only ∼0.57 M ⊙ becomes unbound. Subsequent radiative transfer simulations successfully reproduce the evolving spectral energy distribution. Crucially, our models indicate the main-sequence companion and AGB core survive in an eccentric orbit without merging at least 400 days after CEE onset. AT2025abao may therefore be the first observed CEE event caught forming a close compact binary, bridging a long-standing observational gap in compact-binary formation.
SN  - 2041-8205
SN  - 2041-8213
ER  -