SN Ibn PS1-12sk optical and NIR light curves

DOI

We report on our discovery and observations of the Pan-STARRS1 supernova (SN) PS1-12sk, a transient with properties that indicate atypical star formation in its host galaxy cluster or pose a challenge to popular progenitor system models for this class of explosion. The optical spectra of PS1-12sk classify it as a Type Ibn SN (SN Ibn; cf. SN 2006jc), dominated by intermediate-width (3x10^3^km/s) and time variable He I emission. Our multi-wavelength monitoring establishes the rise time dt ~9-23 days and shows an NUV-NIR spectral energy distribution with temperature >~17x10^3^K and a peak magnitude of M_z_=-18.88+/-0.02mag. SN Ibn spectroscopic properties are commonly interpreted as the signature of a massive star (17-100M_{sun}) explosion within an He-enriched circumstellar medium. However, unlike previous SNe Ibn, PS1-12sk is associated with an elliptical brightest cluster galaxy, CGCG 208-042 (z=0.054) in cluster RXC J0844.9+4258. The expected probability of an event like PS1-12sk in such environments is low given the measured infrequency of core-collapse SNe in red-sequence galaxies compounded by the low volumetric rate of SN Ibn. Furthermore, we find no evidence of star formation at the explosion site to sensitive limits ({Sigma}_H{alpha}<~2x10^-3^M_{sun}_/yr/kpc2). We therefore discuss white dwarf binary systems as a possible progenitor channel for SNe Ibn. We conclude that PS1-12sk represents either a fortuitous and statistically unlikely discovery, evidence for a top-heavy initial mass function in galaxy cluster cooling flow filaments, or the first clue suggesting an alternate progenitor channel for SNe Ibn.

Identifier
DOI http://doi.org/10.26093/cds/vizier.17690039
Source https://dc.g-vo.org/rr/q/lp/custom/CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/769/39
Related Identifier https://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/ApJ/769/39
Related Identifier http://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/ApJ/769/39
Metadata Access http://dc.g-vo.org/rr/q/pmh/pubreg.xml?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=oai_b2find&identifier=ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/769/39
Provenance
Creator Sanders N.E.; Soderberg A.M.; Foley R.J.; Chornock R.; Milisavljevic D.,Margutti R.; Drout M.R.; Moe M.; Berger E.; Brown W.R.; Lunnan R.,Smartt S.J.; Fraser M.; Kotak R.; Magill L.; Smith K.W.; Wright D.,Huang K.; Urata Y.; Mulchaey J.S.; Rest A.; Sand D.J.; Chomiuk L.,Friedman A.S.; Kirshner R.P.; Marion G.H.; Tonry J.L.; Burgett W.S.,Chambers K.C.; Hodapp K.W.; Kudritzki R.P.; Price P.A.
Publisher CDS
Publication Year 2015
Rights https://cds.unistra.fr/vizier-org/licences_vizier.html
OpenAccess true
Contact CDS support team <cds-question(at)unistra.fr>
Representation
Resource Type Dataset; AstroObjects
Discipline Astrophysics and Astronomy; Natural Sciences; Observational Astronomy; Physics; Stellar Astronomy