Exploring stellar evolution with Luminous Red Novae and Interacting Gap Transients

Abstract

Interacting gap transients encompass several families of astrophysical phenomena where eruptive mass loss and interaction play an important role in shaping the observational properties and energetics of the events. Composed of Luminous Red Novae (LRNe), Intermediate Luminosity Red Transients (ILRTs), Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) giant eruptions, and pre-supernova precursors, interacting gap transients offer crucial insights into unstable mass transfer, extreme stellar mass loss, and binary evolution. In these proceedings, I review the observational signatures, progenitors, physical origin, and classification challenges of these heterogeneous phenomena. Finally, I highlight how ongoing and future wide-field time-domain missions will revolutionize this field by compiling complete volume-limited samples, tracking faint pre-outburst precursors, and establishing statistical links between gap transient families and their progenitor populations.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@misc{blagorodnova2026exploring,
  title = {{Exploring stellar evolution with Luminous Red Novae and Interacting Gap Transients}},
  author = {Nadejda Blagorodnova},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.00130},
  eprint = {2609.00130},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.00130},
}

RIS

TY  - UNPB
TI  - Exploring stellar evolution with Luminous Red Novae and Interacting Gap Transients
AU  - Nadejda Blagorodnova
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/01
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.00130
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.00130
AB  - Interacting gap transients encompass several families of astrophysical phenomena where eruptive mass loss and interaction play an important role in shaping the observational properties and energetics of the events. Composed of Luminous Red Novae (LRNe), Intermediate Luminosity Red Transients (ILRTs), Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) giant eruptions, and pre-supernova precursors, interacting gap transients offer crucial insights into unstable mass transfer, extreme stellar mass loss, and binary evolution. In these proceedings, I review the observational signatures, progenitors, physical origin, and classification challenges of these heterogeneous phenomena. Finally, I highlight how ongoing and future wide-field time-domain missions will revolutionize this field by compiling complete volume-limited samples, tracking faint pre-outburst precursors, and establishing statistical links between gap transient families and their progenitor populations.
ER  -

Abstract

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