Optical spectrum of ZTF18abvkwla and its host galaxy

ZTF18abvkwla has a number of features in common with the groundbreaking transient AT2018cow: blue colors at peak (g-r~-0.5mag), a short rise time from half-max of under two days, a decay time to half-max of only three days, a high optical luminosity (M_g.peak_~-20.6mag), a hot (>~40000K) featureless spectrum at peak light, and a luminous radio counterpart.

At late times ({Delta}>80days), the radio luminosity of ZTF18abvkwla ({nu}L_{nu}_>~10^40^erg/s at 10GHz, observer-frame) is most similar to that of long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The host galaxy is a dwarf starburst galaxy (M~5x10^8^M{odot}, SFR~7M{odot}/yr) that is moderately metal-enriched (log[O/H]~8.5), similar to the hosts of GRBs and superluminous supernovae. As in AT2018cow, the radio and optical emission in ZTF18abvkwla likely arise from two separate components: the radio from fast- moving ejecta ({Gamma}{beta}c>0.38c) and the optical from shock-interaction with confined dense material (<0.07M{sun} in ~10^15^cm).