We present the discovery and optical follow-up of the faintest supernova-like transient known. The event (SN 2019gsc) was discovered in a star-forming host at 53 Mpc by ATLAS. A detailed multicolor ...light curve was gathered with Pan-STARRS1 and follow-up spectroscopy was obtained with the Nordic Optical Telescope and Gemini-North. The spectra near maximum light show narrow features at low velocities of 3000-4000 km s−1, similar to the extremely low-luminosity SNe 2010ae and 2008ha, and the light curve displays a similar fast decline (Δm15(r) = 0.91 0.10 mag). SNe 2010ae and 2008ha have been classified as SNe Iax, and together the three either make up a distinct physical class of their own or are at the extreme low-luminosity end of this diverse supernova population. The bolometric light curve is consistent with a low kinetic energy of explosion (Ek ∼ 1049 erg s−1), a modest ejected mass (Mej ∼ 0.2 M ), and radioactive powering by 56Ni (MNi ∼ 2 × 10−3 M ). The spectra are quite well reproduced with radiative transfer models (TARDIS) and a composition dominated by carbon, oxygen, magnesium, silicon, and sulfur. Remarkably, all three of these extreme Iax events are in similar low-metallicity star-forming environments. The combination of the observational constraints for all three may be best explained by deflagrations of near MCh hybrid carbon-oxygen-neon white dwarfs that have short evolutionary pathways to formation.
We present SN2018kzr, the fastest declining supernova-like transient, second only to the kilonova, AT2017gfo. SN2018kzr is characterized by a peak magnitude of Mr = −17.98, a peak bolometric ...luminosity of ∼1.4 × 1043 erg s−1, and a rapid decline rate of 0.48 0.03 mag day−1 in the r band. The bolometric luminosity evolves too quickly to be explained by pure 56Ni heating, necessitating the inclusion of an alternative powering source. Incorporating the spin-down of a magnetized neutron star adequately describes the lightcurve and we estimate a small ejecta mass of Mej = 0.10 0.05 M . Our spectral modeling suggests the ejecta is composed of intermediate mass elements including O, Si, and Mg and trace amounts of Fe-peak elements, which disfavors a binary neutron star merger. We discuss three explosion scenarios for SN2018kzr, given the low ejecta mass, intermediate mass element composition, and high likelihood of additional powering-the core collapse of an ultra-stripped progenitor, the accretion induced collapse (AIC) of a white dwarf, and the merger of a white dwarf and neutron star. The requirement for an alternative input energy source favors either the AIC with magnetar powering or a white dwarf-neutron star merger with energy from disk wind shocks.
Time domain astronomy was revolutionised with the discovery of the first kilonova, AT2017gfo, in August 2017 which was associated with the gravitational wave signal GW170817. Since this event, ...numerous wide-field surveys have been optimising search strategies to maximise their efficiency of detecting these fast and faint transients. With the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS), we have been conducting a volume limited survey for intrinsically faint and fast fading events to a distance of \(D\simeq200\) Mpc. Two promising candidates have been identified from this archival search, with sparse data - PS15cey and PS17cke. Here we present more detailed analysis and discussion of their nature. We observe that PS15cey was a luminous, fast declining transient at 320 Mpc. Models of BH-NS mergers with a very stiff equation of state could possibly reproduce the luminosity and decline but the physical parameters are extreme. A more likely scenario is that this was a SN2018kzr-like merger event. PS17cke was a faint and fast declining event at 15 Mpc. We explore several explosion scenarios of this transient including models of it as a NS-NS and BH-NS merger, the outburst of a massive luminous star, and compare it against other known fast fading transients. Although there is uncertainty in the explosion scenario due to difficulty in measuring the explosion epoch, we find PS17cke to be a plausible kilonova candidate from the model comparisons.
We present the discovery and optical follow-up of the faintest supernova-like transient known. The event (SN 2019gsc) was discovered in a star-forming host at 53\,Mpc by ATLAS. A detailed ...multi-colour light curve was gathered with Pan-STARRS1 and follow-up spectroscopy was obtained with the NOT and Gemini-North. The spectra near maximum light show narrow features at low velocities of 3000 to 4000 km s\(^{-1}\), similar to the extremely low luminosity SNe 2010ae and 2008ha, and the light curve displays a similar fast decline (\dmr \(0.91 \pm 0.10\) mag). SNe 2010ae and 2008ha have been classified as type Iax supernovae, and together the three either make up a distinct physical class of their own or are at the extreme low luminosity end of this diverse supernova population. The bolometric light curve is consistent with a low kinetic energy of explosion (\(E_{\rm k} \sim 10^{49}\) erg s\(^{-1}\)), a modest ejected mass (\(M_{\rm ej} \sim 0.2\) \msol) and radioactive powering by \(^{56}\)Ni (\(M_{\rm Ni} \sim 2 \times 10^{-3}\) \msol). The spectra are quite well reproduced with radiative transfer models (TARDIS) and a composition dominated by carbon, oxygen, magnesium, silicon and sulphur. Remarkably, all three of these extreme Iax events are in similar low-metallicity star-forming environments. The combination of the observational constraints for all three may be best explained by deflagrations of near \(M_{\rm Ch}\) hybrid carbon-oxygen-neon white dwarfs which have short evolutionary pathways to formation.
We present SN2018kzr, the fastest declining supernova-like transient, second only to the kilonova, AT2017gfo. SN2018kzr is characterized by a peak magnitude of \(M_r = -17.98\), peak bolometric ...luminosity of \({\sim} 1.4 \times 10^{43}\)erg s\(^{\mathrm{-1}}\) and a rapid decline rate of \(0.48 \pm 0.03\) mag day\(^{\textrm{-1}}\) in the \(r\) band. The bolometric luminosity evolves too quickly to be explained by pure \(^{\mathrm{56}}\)Ni heating, necessitating the inclusion of an alternative powering source. Incorporating the spin-down of a magnetized neutron star adequately describes the lightcurve and we estimate a small ejecta mass of \(M_\mathrm{ej} = 0.10 \pm 0.05\) \(\textrm{M}_{\odot}\). Our spectral modelling suggests the ejecta is composed of intermediate mass elements including O, Si and Mg and trace amounts of Fe-peak elements, which disfavours a binary neutron star merger. We discuss three explosion scenarios for SN2018kzr, given the low ejecta mass, intermediate mass element composition and the high likelihood of additional powering - core collapse of an ultra-stripped progenitor, the accretion induced collapse of a white dwarf and the merger of a white dwarf and neutron star. The requirement for an alternative input energy source favours either the accretion induced collapse with magnetar powering or a white dwarf - neutron star merger with energy from disk wind shocks.
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