The superluminous supernova PS1-11ap: bridging the gap between low and high redshift

M. McCrum; S. J. Smartt; R. Kotak; A. Rest; A. Jerkstrand; C. Inserra; S. A. Rodney; T. -W. Chen; D. A. Howell; M. E. Huber; A. Pastorello; J. L. Tonry; F. Bresolin; R. -P. Kudritzki; R. Chornock; E. Berger; K. Smith; M. T. Botticella; R. J. Foley; M. Fraser; D. Milisavljevic; M. Nicholl; A. G. Riess; C. W. Stubbs; S. Valenti; W. M. Wood-Vasey; D. Wright; D. R. Young; M. Drout; I. Czekala; W. S. Burgett; K. C. Chambers; P. Draper; H. Flewelling; K. W. Hodapp; N. Kaiser; E. A. Magnier; N. Metcalfe; P. A. Price; W. Sweeney; R. J. Wainscoat

doi:10.1093/mnras/stt1923

The superluminous supernova PS1-11ap: bridging the gap between low and high redshift

M. McCrum, S. J. Smartt, R. Kotak, A. Rest, A. Jerkstrand, C. Inserra, S. A. Rodney, T. -W. Chen, D. A. Howell, M. E. Huber, A. Pastorello, J. L. Tonry, F. Bresolin, R. -P. Kudritzki, R. Chornock, E. Berger, K. Smith, M. T. Botticella, R. J. Foley, M. FraserD. Milisavljevic, M. Nicholl, A. G. Riess, C. W. Stubbs, S. Valenti, W. M. Wood-Vasey, D. Wright, D. R. Young, M. Drout, I. Czekala, W. S. Burgett, K. C. Chambers, P. Draper, H. Flewelling, K. W. Hodapp, N. Kaiser, E. A. Magnier, N. Metcalfe, P. A. Price, W. Sweeney, R. J. Wainscoat

Physics and Astronomy

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39 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present optical photometric and spectroscopic coverage of the superluminous supernova (SLSN) PS1-11ap, discovered with the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey at z = 0.524. This intrinsically blue transient rose slowly to reach a peak magnitude of Mu = −21.4 mag and bolometric luminosity of 8 × 10⁴³ erg s⁻¹ before settling on to a relatively shallow gradient of decline. The observed decline is significantly slower than those of the SLSNe-Ic which have been the focus of much recent attention. Spectroscopic similarities with the lower redshift SN2007bi and a decline rate similar to ⁵⁶Co decay time-scale initially indicated that this transient could be a candidate for a pair instability supernova (PISN) explosion. Overall the transient appears quite similar to SN2007bi and the lower redshift object PTF12dam. The extensive data set, from 30 d before peak to 230 d after, allows a detailed and quantitative comparison with published models of PISN explosions. We find that the PS1-11ap data do not match these model explosion parameters well, supporting the recent claim that these SNe are not pair instability explosions. We show that PS1-11ap has many features in common with the faster declining SLSNe-Ic, and the light-curve evolution can also be quantitatively explained by the magnetar spin-down model. At a redshift of z = 0.524, the observer-frame optical coverage provides comprehensive rest-frame UV data and allows us to compare it with the SLSNe recently found at high redshifts between z = 2 and 4. While these high-z explosions are still plausible PISN candidates, they match the photometric evolution of PS1-11ap and hence could be counterparts to this lower redshift transient.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	656-674
Number of pages	19
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	437
Issue number	1
Early online date	7 Nov 2013
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt1923
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2014

Keywords

supernovae: general
supernovae: individual: PS1-11ap
Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

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McCrum, M., Smartt, S. J., Kotak, R., Rest, A., Jerkstrand, A., Inserra, C., Rodney, S. A., Chen, T. -W., Howell, D. A., Huber, M. E., Pastorello, A., Tonry, J. L., Bresolin, F., Kudritzki, R. -P., Chornock, R., Berger, E., Smith, K., Botticella, M. T., Foley, R. J., ... Wainscoat, R. J. (2014). The superluminous supernova PS1-11ap: bridging the gap between low and high redshift. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 437(1), 656-674. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt1923

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abstract = "We present optical photometric and spectroscopic coverage of the superluminous supernova (SLSN) PS1-11ap, discovered with the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey at z = 0.524. This intrinsically blue transient rose slowly to reach a peak magnitude of Mu = −21.4 mag and bolometric luminosity of 8 × 1043 erg s−1 before settling on to a relatively shallow gradient of decline. The observed decline is significantly slower than those of the SLSNe-Ic which have been the focus of much recent attention. Spectroscopic similarities with the lower redshift SN2007bi and a decline rate similar to 56Co decay time-scale initially indicated that this transient could be a candidate for a pair instability supernova (PISN) explosion. Overall the transient appears quite similar to SN2007bi and the lower redshift object PTF12dam. The extensive data set, from 30 d before peak to 230 d after, allows a detailed and quantitative comparison with published models of PISN explosions. We find that the PS1-11ap data do not match these model explosion parameters well, supporting the recent claim that these SNe are not pair instability explosions. We show that PS1-11ap has many features in common with the faster declining SLSNe-Ic, and the light-curve evolution can also be quantitatively explained by the magnetar spin-down model. At a redshift of z = 0.524, the observer-frame optical coverage provides comprehensive rest-frame UV data and allows us to compare it with the SLSNe recently found at high redshifts between z = 2 and 4. While these high-z explosions are still plausible PISN candidates, they match the photometric evolution of PS1-11ap and hence could be counterparts to this lower redshift transient.",

keywords = "supernovae: general, supernovae: individual: PS1-11ap, Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics, Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics",

author = "M. McCrum and Smartt, {S. J.} and R. Kotak and A. Rest and A. Jerkstrand and C. Inserra and Rodney, {S. A.} and Chen, {T. -W.} and Howell, {D. A.} and Huber, {M. E.} and A. Pastorello and Tonry, {J. L.} and F. Bresolin and Kudritzki, {R. -P.} and R. Chornock and E. Berger and K. Smith and Botticella, {M. T.} and Foley, {R. J.} and M. Fraser and D. Milisavljevic and M. Nicholl and Riess, {A. G.} and Stubbs, {C. W.} and S. Valenti and Wood-Vasey, {W. M.} and D. Wright and Young, {D. R.} and M. Drout and I. Czekala and Burgett, {W. S.} and Chambers, {K. C.} and P. Draper and H. Flewelling and Hodapp, {K. W.} and N. Kaiser and Magnier, {E. A.} and N. Metcalfe and Price, {P. A.} and W. Sweeney and Wainscoat, {R. J.}",

year = "2014",

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doi = "10.1093/mnras/stt1923",

language = "English",

volume = "437",

pages = "656--674",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

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McCrum, M, Smartt, SJ, Kotak, R, Rest, A, Jerkstrand, A, Inserra, C, Rodney, SA, Chen, T-W, Howell, DA, Huber, ME, Pastorello, A, Tonry, JL, Bresolin, F, Kudritzki, R-P, Chornock, R, Berger, E, Smith, K, Botticella, MT, Foley, RJ, Fraser, M, Milisavljevic, D, Nicholl, M, Riess, AG, Stubbs, CW, Valenti, S, Wood-Vasey, WM, Wright, D, Young, DR, Drout, M, Czekala, I, Burgett, WS, Chambers, KC, Draper, P, Flewelling, H, Hodapp, KW, Kaiser, N, Magnier, EA, Metcalfe, N, Price, PA, Sweeney, W & Wainscoat, RJ 2014, 'The superluminous supernova PS1-11ap: bridging the gap between low and high redshift', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 437, no. 1, pp. 656-674. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt1923

TY - JOUR

T1 - The superluminous supernova PS1-11ap

T2 - bridging the gap between low and high redshift

AU - McCrum, M.

AU - Smartt, S. J.

AU - Kotak, R.

AU - Rest, A.

AU - Jerkstrand, A.

AU - Inserra, C.

AU - Rodney, S. A.

AU - Chen, T. -W.

AU - Howell, D. A.

AU - Huber, M. E.

AU - Pastorello, A.

AU - Tonry, J. L.

AU - Bresolin, F.

AU - Kudritzki, R. -P.

AU - Chornock, R.

AU - Berger, E.

AU - Smith, K.

AU - Botticella, M. T.

AU - Foley, R. J.

AU - Fraser, M.

AU - Milisavljevic, D.

AU - Nicholl, M.

AU - Riess, A. G.

AU - Stubbs, C. W.

AU - Valenti, S.

AU - Wood-Vasey, W. M.

AU - Wright, D.

AU - Young, D. R.

AU - Drout, M.

AU - Czekala, I.

AU - Burgett, W. S.

AU - Chambers, K. C.

AU - Draper, P.

AU - Flewelling, H.

AU - Hodapp, K. W.

AU - Kaiser, N.

AU - Magnier, E. A.

AU - Metcalfe, N.

AU - Price, P. A.

AU - Sweeney, W.

AU - Wainscoat, R. J.

PY - 2014/1/1

Y1 - 2014/1/1

N2 - We present optical photometric and spectroscopic coverage of the superluminous supernova (SLSN) PS1-11ap, discovered with the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey at z = 0.524. This intrinsically blue transient rose slowly to reach a peak magnitude of Mu = −21.4 mag and bolometric luminosity of 8 × 1043 erg s−1 before settling on to a relatively shallow gradient of decline. The observed decline is significantly slower than those of the SLSNe-Ic which have been the focus of much recent attention. Spectroscopic similarities with the lower redshift SN2007bi and a decline rate similar to 56Co decay time-scale initially indicated that this transient could be a candidate for a pair instability supernova (PISN) explosion. Overall the transient appears quite similar to SN2007bi and the lower redshift object PTF12dam. The extensive data set, from 30 d before peak to 230 d after, allows a detailed and quantitative comparison with published models of PISN explosions. We find that the PS1-11ap data do not match these model explosion parameters well, supporting the recent claim that these SNe are not pair instability explosions. We show that PS1-11ap has many features in common with the faster declining SLSNe-Ic, and the light-curve evolution can also be quantitatively explained by the magnetar spin-down model. At a redshift of z = 0.524, the observer-frame optical coverage provides comprehensive rest-frame UV data and allows us to compare it with the SLSNe recently found at high redshifts between z = 2 and 4. While these high-z explosions are still plausible PISN candidates, they match the photometric evolution of PS1-11ap and hence could be counterparts to this lower redshift transient.

AB - We present optical photometric and spectroscopic coverage of the superluminous supernova (SLSN) PS1-11ap, discovered with the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey at z = 0.524. This intrinsically blue transient rose slowly to reach a peak magnitude of Mu = −21.4 mag and bolometric luminosity of 8 × 1043 erg s−1 before settling on to a relatively shallow gradient of decline. The observed decline is significantly slower than those of the SLSNe-Ic which have been the focus of much recent attention. Spectroscopic similarities with the lower redshift SN2007bi and a decline rate similar to 56Co decay time-scale initially indicated that this transient could be a candidate for a pair instability supernova (PISN) explosion. Overall the transient appears quite similar to SN2007bi and the lower redshift object PTF12dam. The extensive data set, from 30 d before peak to 230 d after, allows a detailed and quantitative comparison with published models of PISN explosions. We find that the PS1-11ap data do not match these model explosion parameters well, supporting the recent claim that these SNe are not pair instability explosions. We show that PS1-11ap has many features in common with the faster declining SLSNe-Ic, and the light-curve evolution can also be quantitatively explained by the magnetar spin-down model. At a redshift of z = 0.524, the observer-frame optical coverage provides comprehensive rest-frame UV data and allows us to compare it with the SLSNe recently found at high redshifts between z = 2 and 4. While these high-z explosions are still plausible PISN candidates, they match the photometric evolution of PS1-11ap and hence could be counterparts to this lower redshift transient.

KW - supernovae: general

KW - supernovae: individual: PS1-11ap

KW - Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics

KW - Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

KW - Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stt1923

DO - 10.1093/mnras/stt1923

M3 - Article

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 437

SP - 656

EP - 674

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 1

ER -

The superluminous supernova PS1-11ap: bridging the gap between low and high redshift

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Keywords

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