PS1-10afx at z = 1.388: Pan-STARRS1 Discovery of a New Type of Superluminous Supernova

R. Chornock; E. Berger; A. Rest; D. Milisavljevic; R. Lunnan; R. J. Foley; A. M. Soderberg; S. J. Smartt; A. J. Burgasser; P. Challis; L. Chomiuk; I. Czekala; M. Drout; W. Fong; M. E. Huber; R. P. Kirshner; C. Leibler; B. McLeod; G. H. Marion; G. Narayan; A. G. Riess; K. C. Roth; N. E. Sanders; D. Scolnic; K. Smith; C. W. Stubbs; J. L. Tonry; S. Valenti; W. S. Burgett; K. C. Chambers; K. W. Hodapp; N. Kaiser; R.-P. Kudritzki; E. A. Magnier; P. A. Price

PS1-10afx at z = 1.388: Pan-STARRS1 Discovery of a New Type of Superluminous Supernova

R. Chornock
, E. Berger
, A. Rest
, D. Milisavljevic
, R. Lunnan
, R. J. Foley
, A. M. Soderberg
, S. J. Smartt
, A. J. Burgasser
, P. Challis
, L. Chomiuk
, I. Czekala
, M. Drout
, W. Fong
, M. E. Huber
, R. P. Kirshner
, C. Leibler
, B. McLeod
, G. H. Marion
, G. Narayan

A. G. Riess, K. C. Roth, N. E. Sanders, D. Scolnic, K. Smith, C. W. Stubbs, J. L. Tonry, S. Valenti, W. S. Burgett, K. C. Chambers, K. W. Hodapp, N. Kaiser, R.-P. Kudritzki, E. A. Magnier, P. A. Price

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

65 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present the Pan-STARRS1 discovery of PS1-10afx, a unique hydrogen-deficient superluminous supernova (SLSN) at redshift z = 1.388. The light curve peaked at z P1 = 21.7 mag, making PS1-10afx comparable to the most luminous known SNe, with Mu = -22.3 mag. Our extensive optical and near-infrared observations indicate that the bolometric light curve of PS1-10afx rose on the unusually fast timescale of ~12 days to the extraordinary peak luminosity of 4.1 × 1044 erg s-1 (M bol = -22.8 mag) and subsequently faded rapidly. Equally important, the spectral energy distribution is unusually red for an SLSN, with a color temperature of ~6800 K near maximum light, in contrast to previous hydrogen-poor SLSNe, which are bright in the ultraviolet (UV). The spectra more closely resemble those of a normal SN Ic than any known SLSN, with a photospheric velocity of ~11, 000 km s-1 and evidence for line blanketing in the rest-frame UV. Despite the fast rise, these parameters imply a very large emitting radius (gsim 5 × 1015 cm). We demonstrate that no existing theoretical model can satisfactorily explain this combination of properties: (1) a nickel-powered light curve cannot match the combination of high peak luminosity with the fast timescale; (2) models powered by the spindown energy of a rapidly rotating magnetar predict significantly hotter and faster ejecta; and (3) models invoking shock breakout through a dense circumstellar medium cannot explain the observed spectra or color evolution. The host galaxy is well detected in pre-explosion imaging with a luminosity near L*, a star formation rate of ~15 M ⊙ yr-1, and is fairly massive (~2 × 1010 M ⊙), with a stellar population age of ~108 yr, also in contrast to the young dwarf hosts of known hydrogen-poor SLSNe. PS1-10afx is distinct from known examples of SLSNe in its spectra, colors, light-curve shape, and host galaxy properties, suggesting that it resulted from a different channel than other hydrogen-poor SLSNe.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	162
Journal	The Astrophysical Journal
Volume	767
Publication status	Published - 01 Apr 2013

Keywords

supernovae: individual: PS1-10afx
surveys

Access to Document

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013ApJ...767..162C

Cite this

Chornock, R., Berger, E., Rest, A., Milisavljevic, D., Lunnan, R., Foley, R. J., Soderberg, A. M., Smartt, S. J., Burgasser, A. J., Challis, P., Chomiuk, L., Czekala, I., Drout, M., Fong, W., Huber, M. E., Kirshner, R. P., Leibler, C., McLeod, B., Marion, G. H., ... Price, P. A. (2013). PS1-10afx at z = 1.388: Pan-STARRS1 Discovery of a New Type of Superluminous Supernova. The Astrophysical Journal, 767, 162. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013ApJ...767..162C

@article{829aad060ed94c29923211ff9e4ebb56,

title = "PS1-10afx at z = 1.388: Pan-STARRS1 Discovery of a New Type of Superluminous Supernova",

abstract = "We present the Pan-STARRS1 discovery of PS1-10afx, a unique hydrogen-deficient superluminous supernova (SLSN) at redshift z = 1.388. The light curve peaked at z P1 = 21.7 mag, making PS1-10afx comparable to the most luminous known SNe, with Mu = -22.3 mag. Our extensive optical and near-infrared observations indicate that the bolometric light curve of PS1-10afx rose on the unusually fast timescale of \textasciitilde{}12 days to the extraordinary peak luminosity of 4.1 × 1044 erg s-1 (M bol = -22.8 mag) and subsequently faded rapidly. Equally important, the spectral energy distribution is unusually red for an SLSN, with a color temperature of \textasciitilde{}6800 K near maximum light, in contrast to previous hydrogen-poor SLSNe, which are bright in the ultraviolet (UV). The spectra more closely resemble those of a normal SN Ic than any known SLSN, with a photospheric velocity of \textasciitilde{}11, 000 km s-1 and evidence for line blanketing in the rest-frame UV. Despite the fast rise, these parameters imply a very large emitting radius (gsim 5 × 1015 cm). We demonstrate that no existing theoretical model can satisfactorily explain this combination of properties: (1) a nickel-powered light curve cannot match the combination of high peak luminosity with the fast timescale; (2) models powered by the spindown energy of a rapidly rotating magnetar predict significantly hotter and faster ejecta; and (3) models invoking shock breakout through a dense circumstellar medium cannot explain the observed spectra or color evolution. The host galaxy is well detected in pre-explosion imaging with a luminosity near L*, a star formation rate of \textasciitilde{}15 M ⊙ yr-1, and is fairly massive (\textasciitilde{}2 × 1010 M ⊙), with a stellar population age of \textasciitilde{}108 yr, also in contrast to the young dwarf hosts of known hydrogen-poor SLSNe. PS1-10afx is distinct from known examples of SLSNe in its spectra, colors, light-curve shape, and host galaxy properties, suggesting that it resulted from a different channel than other hydrogen-poor SLSNe.",

keywords = "supernovae: individual: PS1-10afx, surveys",

author = "R. Chornock and E. Berger and A. Rest and D. Milisavljevic and R. Lunnan and Foley, \{R. J.\} and Soderberg, \{A. M.\} and Smartt, \{S. J.\} and Burgasser, \{A. J.\} and P. Challis and L. Chomiuk and I. Czekala and M. Drout and W. Fong and Huber, \{M. E.\} and Kirshner, \{R. P.\} and C. Leibler and B. McLeod and Marion, \{G. H.\} and G. Narayan and Riess, \{A. G.\} and Roth, \{K. C.\} and Sanders, \{N. E.\} and D. Scolnic and K. Smith and Stubbs, \{C. W.\} and Tonry, \{J. L.\} and S. Valenti and Burgett, \{W. S.\} and Chambers, \{K. C.\} and Hodapp, \{K. W.\} and N. Kaiser and R.-P. Kudritzki and Magnier, \{E. A.\} and Price, \{P. A.\}",

year = "2013",

month = apr,

day = "1",

language = "English",

volume = "767",

pages = "162",

journal = "The Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

}

Chornock, R, Berger, E, Rest, A, Milisavljevic, D, Lunnan, R, Foley, RJ, Soderberg, AM, Smartt, SJ, Burgasser, AJ, Challis, P, Chomiuk, L, Czekala, I, Drout, M, Fong, W, Huber, ME, Kirshner, RP, Leibler, C, McLeod, B, Marion, GH, Narayan, G, Riess, AG, Roth, KC, Sanders, NE, Scolnic, D, Smith, K, Stubbs, CW, Tonry, JL, Valenti, S, Burgett, WS, Chambers, KC, Hodapp, KW, Kaiser, N, Kudritzki, R-P, Magnier, EA & Price, PA 2013, 'PS1-10afx at z = 1.388: Pan-STARRS1 Discovery of a New Type of Superluminous Supernova', The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 767, pp. 162. <http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013ApJ...767..162C>

TY - JOUR

T1 - PS1-10afx at z = 1.388: Pan-STARRS1 Discovery of a New Type of Superluminous Supernova

AU - Chornock, R.

AU - Berger, E.

AU - Rest, A.

AU - Milisavljevic, D.

AU - Lunnan, R.

AU - Foley, R. J.

AU - Soderberg, A. M.

AU - Smartt, S. J.

AU - Burgasser, A. J.

AU - Challis, P.

AU - Chomiuk, L.

AU - Czekala, I.

AU - Drout, M.

AU - Fong, W.

AU - Huber, M. E.

AU - Kirshner, R. P.

AU - Leibler, C.

AU - McLeod, B.

AU - Marion, G. H.

AU - Narayan, G.

AU - Riess, A. G.

AU - Roth, K. C.

AU - Sanders, N. E.

AU - Scolnic, D.

AU - Smith, K.

AU - Stubbs, C. W.

AU - Tonry, J. L.

AU - Valenti, S.

AU - Burgett, W. S.

AU - Chambers, K. C.

AU - Hodapp, K. W.

AU - Kaiser, N.

AU - Kudritzki, R.-P.

AU - Magnier, E. A.

AU - Price, P. A.

PY - 2013/4/1

Y1 - 2013/4/1

N2 - We present the Pan-STARRS1 discovery of PS1-10afx, a unique hydrogen-deficient superluminous supernova (SLSN) at redshift z = 1.388. The light curve peaked at z P1 = 21.7 mag, making PS1-10afx comparable to the most luminous known SNe, with Mu = -22.3 mag. Our extensive optical and near-infrared observations indicate that the bolometric light curve of PS1-10afx rose on the unusually fast timescale of ~12 days to the extraordinary peak luminosity of 4.1 × 1044 erg s-1 (M bol = -22.8 mag) and subsequently faded rapidly. Equally important, the spectral energy distribution is unusually red for an SLSN, with a color temperature of ~6800 K near maximum light, in contrast to previous hydrogen-poor SLSNe, which are bright in the ultraviolet (UV). The spectra more closely resemble those of a normal SN Ic than any known SLSN, with a photospheric velocity of ~11, 000 km s-1 and evidence for line blanketing in the rest-frame UV. Despite the fast rise, these parameters imply a very large emitting radius (gsim 5 × 1015 cm). We demonstrate that no existing theoretical model can satisfactorily explain this combination of properties: (1) a nickel-powered light curve cannot match the combination of high peak luminosity with the fast timescale; (2) models powered by the spindown energy of a rapidly rotating magnetar predict significantly hotter and faster ejecta; and (3) models invoking shock breakout through a dense circumstellar medium cannot explain the observed spectra or color evolution. The host galaxy is well detected in pre-explosion imaging with a luminosity near L*, a star formation rate of ~15 M ⊙ yr-1, and is fairly massive (~2 × 1010 M ⊙), with a stellar population age of ~108 yr, also in contrast to the young dwarf hosts of known hydrogen-poor SLSNe. PS1-10afx is distinct from known examples of SLSNe in its spectra, colors, light-curve shape, and host galaxy properties, suggesting that it resulted from a different channel than other hydrogen-poor SLSNe.

AB - We present the Pan-STARRS1 discovery of PS1-10afx, a unique hydrogen-deficient superluminous supernova (SLSN) at redshift z = 1.388. The light curve peaked at z P1 = 21.7 mag, making PS1-10afx comparable to the most luminous known SNe, with Mu = -22.3 mag. Our extensive optical and near-infrared observations indicate that the bolometric light curve of PS1-10afx rose on the unusually fast timescale of ~12 days to the extraordinary peak luminosity of 4.1 × 1044 erg s-1 (M bol = -22.8 mag) and subsequently faded rapidly. Equally important, the spectral energy distribution is unusually red for an SLSN, with a color temperature of ~6800 K near maximum light, in contrast to previous hydrogen-poor SLSNe, which are bright in the ultraviolet (UV). The spectra more closely resemble those of a normal SN Ic than any known SLSN, with a photospheric velocity of ~11, 000 km s-1 and evidence for line blanketing in the rest-frame UV. Despite the fast rise, these parameters imply a very large emitting radius (gsim 5 × 1015 cm). We demonstrate that no existing theoretical model can satisfactorily explain this combination of properties: (1) a nickel-powered light curve cannot match the combination of high peak luminosity with the fast timescale; (2) models powered by the spindown energy of a rapidly rotating magnetar predict significantly hotter and faster ejecta; and (3) models invoking shock breakout through a dense circumstellar medium cannot explain the observed spectra or color evolution. The host galaxy is well detected in pre-explosion imaging with a luminosity near L*, a star formation rate of ~15 M ⊙ yr-1, and is fairly massive (~2 × 1010 M ⊙), with a stellar population age of ~108 yr, also in contrast to the young dwarf hosts of known hydrogen-poor SLSNe. PS1-10afx is distinct from known examples of SLSNe in its spectra, colors, light-curve shape, and host galaxy properties, suggesting that it resulted from a different channel than other hydrogen-poor SLSNe.

KW - supernovae: individual: PS1-10afx

KW - surveys

M3 - Article

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 767

SP - 162

JO - The Astrophysical Journal

JF - The Astrophysical Journal

ER -

PS1-10afx at z = 1.388: Pan-STARRS1 Discovery of a New Type of Superluminous Supernova

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this