A hot and luminous source at the site of the fast transient AT2018cow at 2-3 yr after its explosion

Abstract

We report the discovery of a luminous late-time source at the position of the fast blue optical transient AT2018cow on images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope at 714 d and 1136 d after its explosion. This source is detected at both UV and optical wavelengths and has prominent Hα emission. It has a very stable brightness between the two epochs and a very blue spectral energy distribution consistent with f_λ $\propto \, \lambda ^{-4.1 \pm 0.1}$, i.e. the Rayleigh-Jeans tail of a hot blackbody with a very high temperature of log(T/K) > 4.7 and luminosity of log(L/L_⊙) > 7.0. This late-time source is unlikely to be an unrelated object in chance alignment, or due to a light echo of AT2018cow. Other possible scenarios also have some difficulties in explaining this late-time source, including companion star(s), star cluster, the survived progenitor star, interaction with circumstellar medium, magnetar, or delayed accretion in a tidal disruption event. Long-term and multi-wavelength monitoring will help to resolve its nature and finally reveal the origin of the 'Cow'.