EP241021a: A Months-duration X-Ray Transient with Luminous Optical and Radio Emission

Abstract

We present the discovery of a peculiar X-ray transient, EP241021a, by the Einstein Probe (EP) mission and the results from multiwavelength follow-up observations. The transient was first detected with the Wide-field X-ray Telescope as an intense flare lasting for ∼100 s, reaching a luminosity of L<inf>0.5−4 keV</inf> ≈ 10⁴⁸ erg s⁻¹. Further observations with EP’s Follow-up X-ray Telescope reveal a huge drop in the X-ray flux by a factor of >1000 within 1.5 days. After maintaining a nearly plateau phase for ∼7 days, the X-ray flux decreases ∝t^−1.2 over a period of ∼30 days, followed by a sudden decrease to an undetectable level by EP and XMM-Newton, making it the longest afterglow emission detected among known fast X-ray transients. Bright counterparts at optical and radio wavelengths were also detected, with high peak luminosities in excess of 10⁴⁴ erg s⁻¹ and 10⁴¹ erg s⁻¹, respectively. In addition, EP241021a exhibits a nonthermal X-ray spectrum, red optical color, X-ray and optical rebrightenings in the light curves, and fast radio spectral evolution, suggesting that relativistic jets may have been launched. We discuss the possible origins of EP241021a, including a choked jet with supernova shock breakout, a merger-triggered magnetar, a highly structured jet, and a repeating partial tidal disruption event involving an intermediate-mass black hole, but none can perfectly explain the multiwavelength properties. EP241021a may represent a new type of X-ray transient with month-duration evolution timescales; future EP detections and follow-up observations of similar systems will provide statistical samples to understand the underlying mechanisms at work.