Abstract
In this study, we present observations of a type Iax supernova,
PS1-12bwh, discovered during the Pan-STARRS1 3$\pi$-survey. Our analysis
was driven by previously unseen pre-maximum, spectroscopic
heterogeneity. While the light curve and post-maximum spectra of
PS1-12bwh are virtually identical to those of the well-studied type Iax
supernova, SN 2005hk, the $-$2 day spectrum of PS1-12bwh does not
resemble SN 2005hk at a comparable epoch; instead, we found it to match
a spectrum of SN 2005hk taken over a week earlier ($-$12 day). We are
able to rule out the cause as being incorrect phasing, and argue that it
is not consistent with orientation effects predicted by existing
explosion simulations. To investigate the potential source of this
difference, we performed radiative transfer modelling of both
supernovae. We found that the pre-maximum spectrum of PS1-12bwh is well
matched by a synthetic spectrum generated from a model with a lower
density in the high velocity ($\gtrsim$6000 km~s$^{-1}$) ejecta than SN
2005hk. The observed differences between SN 2005hk and PS1-12bwh may
therefore be attributed primarily to differences in the high velocity
ejecta alone, while comparable densities for the lower velocity ejecta
would explain the nearly identical post-maximum spectra. These two
supernovae further highlight the diversity within the SNe Iax class, as
well as the challenges in spectroscopically identifying and phasing
these objects, especially at early epochs.
Original language | English |
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Article number | A62 |
Journal | Astronomy and Astrophysics |
Volume | 601 |
Early online date | 03 May 2017 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May 2017 |
Keywords
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
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Dive into the research topics of 'Growing evidence that SNe Iax are not a one-parameter family: the case of PS1-12bwh'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Student theses
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Unravelling the nature of hydrogen-poor thermonuclear supernovae
Magee, M. (Author), Smartt, S. (Supervisor) & Sim, S. (Supervisor), Jul 2019Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy
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