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Panning for gold, but finding helium: Discovery of the ultra-stripped supernova SN 2019wxt from gravitational-wave follow-up observations

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Panning for gold, but finding helium: Discovery of the ultra-stripped supernova SN 2019wxt from gravitational-wave follow-up observations. / Agudo, I.; Amati, L.; An, T. et al.
In: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Vol. 675, A201, 01.07.2023.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Agudo, I, Amati, L, An, T, Bauer, FE, Benetti, S, Bernardini, MG, Beswick, R, Bhirombhakdi, K, De Boer, T, Branchesi, M, Brennan, SJ, Brocato, E, Caballero-García, MD, Cappellaro, E, Castro Rodríguez, N, Castro-Tirado, AJ, Chambers, KC, Chassande-Mottin, E, Chaty, S, Chen, T-W, Coleiro, A, Covino, S, Da'ammando, F, Da'avanzo, P, Da'elia, V, Fiore, A, Flörs, A, Fraser, M, Frey, S, Frohmaier, C, Fulton, M, Galbany, L, Gall, C, Gao, H, García-Rojas, J, Ghirlanda, G, Giarratana, S, Gillanders, JH, Giroletti, M, Gompertz, BP, Gromadzki, M, Heintz, KE, Hjorth, J, Hu, Y-D, Huber, ME, Inkenhaag, A, Izzo, L, Jin, ZP, Jonker, PG, Kann, DA, Kool, EC, Kotak, R, Leloudas, G, Levan, AJ, Lin, C-C, Lyman, JD, Magnier, EA, Maguire, K, Mandel, I, Marcote, B, Mata Sánchez, D, Mattila, S, Melandri, A, Michaåà  Owski, MJ, Moldon, J, Nicholl, M, Nicuesa Guelbenzu, A, Oates, SR, Onori, F, Orienti, M, Paladino, R, Paragi, Z, Perez-Torres, M, Pian, E, Pignata, G, Piranomonte, S, Quirola-Vásquez, J, Ragosta, F, Rau, A, Ronchini, S, Rossi, A, Sánchez-Ramírez, R, Salafia, OS, Schulze, S, Smartt, SJ, Smith, KW, Sollerman, J, Srivastav, S, Starling, RLC, Steeghs, D, Stevance, HF, Tanvir, NR, Testa, V, Torres, MAP, Valeev, A, Vergani, SD, Vescovi, D, Wainscost, R, Watson, D, Wiersema, K, Wyrzykowski, L, Yang, J, Yang, S & Young, DR 2023, 'Panning for gold, but finding helium: Discovery of the ultra-stripped supernova SN 2019wxt from gravitational-wave follow-up observations', Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 675, A201. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202244751

APA

Agudo, I., Amati, L., An, T., Bauer, F. E., Benetti, S., Bernardini, M. G., Beswick, R., Bhirombhakdi, K., De Boer, T., Branchesi, M., Brennan, S. J., Brocato, E., Caballero-García, M. D., Cappellaro, E., Castro Rodríguez, N., Castro-Tirado, A. J., Chambers, K. C., Chassande-Mottin, E., Chaty, S., ... Young, D. R. (2023). Panning for gold, but finding helium: Discovery of the ultra-stripped supernova SN 2019wxt from gravitational-wave follow-up observations. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 675, Article A201. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202244751

Vancouver

Agudo I, Amati L, An T, Bauer FE, Benetti S, Bernardini MG et al. Panning for gold, but finding helium: Discovery of the ultra-stripped supernova SN 2019wxt from gravitational-wave follow-up observations. Astronomy and Astrophysics. 2023 Jul 1;675:A201. doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202244751

Author

Agudo, I. ; Amati, L. ; An, T. et al. / Panning for gold, but finding helium : Discovery of the ultra-stripped supernova SN 2019wxt from gravitational-wave follow-up observations. In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. 2023 ; Vol. 675.

Bibtex

@article{88bf02f415f34e478424b3ef30e9cca5,
title = "Panning for gold, but finding helium: Discovery of the ultra-stripped supernova SN 2019wxt from gravitational-wave follow-up observations",
abstract = "We present the results from multi-wavelength observations of a transient discovered during an intensive follow-up campaign of S191213g, a gravitational wave (GW) event reported by the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration as a possible binary neutron star merger in a low latency search. This search yielded SN 2019wxt, a young transient in a galaxy whose sky position (in the 80% GW contour) and distance (∼150 Mpc) were plausibly compatible with the localisation uncertainty of the GW event. Initially, the transienta's tightly constrained age, its relatively faint peak magnitude (Mi ∼ -16.7 mag), and the r-band decline rate of ∼1 mag per 5 days appeared suggestive of a compact binary merger. However, SN 2019wxt spectroscopically resembled a type Ib supernova, and analysis of the optical-near-infrared evolution rapidly led to the conclusion that while it could not be associated with S191213g, it nevertheless represented an extreme outcome of stellar evolution. By modelling the light curve, we estimated an ejecta mass of only ∼0.1 M·, with 56Ni comprising ∼20% of this. We were broadly able to reproduce its spectral evolution with a composition dominated by helium and oxygen, with trace amounts of calcium. We considered various progenitor channels that could give rise to the observed properties of SN 2019wxt and concluded that an ultra-stripped origin in a binary system is the most likely explanation. Disentangling genuine electromagnetic counterparts to GW events from transients such as SN 2019wxt soon after discovery is challenging: in a bid to characterise this level of contamination, we estimated the rate of events with a volumetric rate density comparable to that of SN 2019wxt and found that around one such event per week can occur within the typical GW localisation area of O4 alerts out to a luminosity distance of 500 Mpc, beyond which it would become fainter than the typical depth of current electromagnetic follow-up campaigns.",
author = "I. Agudo and L. Amati and T. An and F.E. Bauer and S. Benetti and M.G. Bernardini and R. Beswick and K. Bhirombhakdi and {De Boer}, T. and M. Branchesi and S.J. Brennan and E. Brocato and M.D. Caballero-Garc{\'i}a and E. Cappellaro and {Castro Rodr{\'i}guez}, N. and A.J. Castro-Tirado and K.C. Chambers and E. Chassande-Mottin and S. Chaty and T.-W. Chen and A. Coleiro and S. Covino and F. Da'ammando and P. Da'avanzo and V. Da'elia and A. Fiore and A. Fl{\"o}rs and M. Fraser and S. Frey and C. Frohmaier and M. Fulton and L. Galbany and C. Gall and H. Gao and J. Garc{\'i}a-Rojas and G. Ghirlanda and S. Giarratana and J.H. Gillanders and M. Giroletti and B.P. Gompertz and M. Gromadzki and K.E. Heintz and J. Hjorth and Y.-D. Hu and M.E. Huber and A. Inkenhaag and L. Izzo and Z.P. Jin and P.G. Jonker and D.A. Kann and E.C. Kool and R. Kotak and G. Leloudas and A.J. Levan and C.-C. Lin and J.D. Lyman and E.A. Magnier and K. Maguire and I. Mandel and B. Marcote and {Mata S{\'a}nchez}, D. and S. Mattila and A. Melandri and {Micha{\aa}{\~A} {\^A} Owski}, M.J. and J. Moldon and M. Nicholl and {Nicuesa Guelbenzu}, A. and S.R. Oates and F. Onori and M. Orienti and R. Paladino and Z. Paragi and M. Perez-Torres and E. Pian and G. Pignata and S. Piranomonte and J. Quirola-V{\'a}squez and F. Ragosta and A. Rau and S. Ronchini and A. Rossi and R. S{\'a}nchez-Ram{\'i}rez and O.S. Salafia and S. Schulze and S.J. Smartt and K.W. Smith and J. Sollerman and S. Srivastav and R.L.C. Starling and D. Steeghs and H.F. Stevance and N.R. Tanvir and V. Testa and M.A.P. Torres and A. Valeev and S.D. Vergani and D. Vescovi and R. Wainscost and D. Watson and K. Wiersema and L. Wyrzykowski and J. Yang and S. Yang and D.R. Young",
note = "Export Date: 21 August 2023",
year = "2023",
month = jul,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/202244751",
language = "English",
volume = "675",
journal = "Astronomy and Astrophysics",
issn = "1432-0746",
publisher = "EDP Sciences",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Panning for gold, but finding helium

T2 - Discovery of the ultra-stripped supernova SN 2019wxt from gravitational-wave follow-up observations

AU - Agudo, I.

AU - Amati, L.

AU - An, T.

AU - Bauer, F.E.

AU - Benetti, S.

AU - Bernardini, M.G.

AU - Beswick, R.

AU - Bhirombhakdi, K.

AU - De Boer, T.

AU - Branchesi, M.

AU - Brennan, S.J.

AU - Brocato, E.

AU - Caballero-García, M.D.

AU - Cappellaro, E.

AU - Castro Rodríguez, N.

AU - Castro-Tirado, A.J.

AU - Chambers, K.C.

AU - Chassande-Mottin, E.

AU - Chaty, S.

AU - Chen, T.-W.

AU - Coleiro, A.

AU - Covino, S.

AU - Da'ammando, F.

AU - Da'avanzo, P.

AU - Da'elia, V.

AU - Fiore, A.

AU - Flörs, A.

AU - Fraser, M.

AU - Frey, S.

AU - Frohmaier, C.

AU - Fulton, M.

AU - Galbany, L.

AU - Gall, C.

AU - Gao, H.

AU - García-Rojas, J.

AU - Ghirlanda, G.

AU - Giarratana, S.

AU - Gillanders, J.H.

AU - Giroletti, M.

AU - Gompertz, B.P.

AU - Gromadzki, M.

AU - Heintz, K.E.

AU - Hjorth, J.

AU - Hu, Y.-D.

AU - Huber, M.E.

AU - Inkenhaag, A.

AU - Izzo, L.

AU - Jin, Z.P.

AU - Jonker, P.G.

AU - Kann, D.A.

AU - Kool, E.C.

AU - Kotak, R.

AU - Leloudas, G.

AU - Levan, A.J.

AU - Lin, C.-C.

AU - Lyman, J.D.

AU - Magnier, E.A.

AU - Maguire, K.

AU - Mandel, I.

AU - Marcote, B.

AU - Mata Sánchez, D.

AU - Mattila, S.

AU - Melandri, A.

AU - Michaåà  Owski, M.J.

AU - Moldon, J.

AU - Nicholl, M.

AU - Nicuesa Guelbenzu, A.

AU - Oates, S.R.

AU - Onori, F.

AU - Orienti, M.

AU - Paladino, R.

AU - Paragi, Z.

AU - Perez-Torres, M.

AU - Pian, E.

AU - Pignata, G.

AU - Piranomonte, S.

AU - Quirola-Vásquez, J.

AU - Ragosta, F.

AU - Rau, A.

AU - Ronchini, S.

AU - Rossi, A.

AU - Sánchez-Ramírez, R.

AU - Salafia, O.S.

AU - Schulze, S.

AU - Smartt, S.J.

AU - Smith, K.W.

AU - Sollerman, J.

AU - Srivastav, S.

AU - Starling, R.L.C.

AU - Steeghs, D.

AU - Stevance, H.F.

AU - Tanvir, N.R.

AU - Testa, V.

AU - Torres, M.A.P.

AU - Valeev, A.

AU - Vergani, S.D.

AU - Vescovi, D.

AU - Wainscost, R.

AU - Watson, D.

AU - Wiersema, K.

AU - Wyrzykowski, L.

AU - Yang, J.

AU - Yang, S.

AU - Young, D.R.

N1 - Export Date: 21 August 2023

PY - 2023/7/1

Y1 - 2023/7/1

N2 - We present the results from multi-wavelength observations of a transient discovered during an intensive follow-up campaign of S191213g, a gravitational wave (GW) event reported by the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration as a possible binary neutron star merger in a low latency search. This search yielded SN 2019wxt, a young transient in a galaxy whose sky position (in the 80% GW contour) and distance (∼150 Mpc) were plausibly compatible with the localisation uncertainty of the GW event. Initially, the transienta's tightly constrained age, its relatively faint peak magnitude (Mi ∼ -16.7 mag), and the r-band decline rate of ∼1 mag per 5 days appeared suggestive of a compact binary merger. However, SN 2019wxt spectroscopically resembled a type Ib supernova, and analysis of the optical-near-infrared evolution rapidly led to the conclusion that while it could not be associated with S191213g, it nevertheless represented an extreme outcome of stellar evolution. By modelling the light curve, we estimated an ejecta mass of only ∼0.1 M·, with 56Ni comprising ∼20% of this. We were broadly able to reproduce its spectral evolution with a composition dominated by helium and oxygen, with trace amounts of calcium. We considered various progenitor channels that could give rise to the observed properties of SN 2019wxt and concluded that an ultra-stripped origin in a binary system is the most likely explanation. Disentangling genuine electromagnetic counterparts to GW events from transients such as SN 2019wxt soon after discovery is challenging: in a bid to characterise this level of contamination, we estimated the rate of events with a volumetric rate density comparable to that of SN 2019wxt and found that around one such event per week can occur within the typical GW localisation area of O4 alerts out to a luminosity distance of 500 Mpc, beyond which it would become fainter than the typical depth of current electromagnetic follow-up campaigns.

AB - We present the results from multi-wavelength observations of a transient discovered during an intensive follow-up campaign of S191213g, a gravitational wave (GW) event reported by the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration as a possible binary neutron star merger in a low latency search. This search yielded SN 2019wxt, a young transient in a galaxy whose sky position (in the 80% GW contour) and distance (∼150 Mpc) were plausibly compatible with the localisation uncertainty of the GW event. Initially, the transienta's tightly constrained age, its relatively faint peak magnitude (Mi ∼ -16.7 mag), and the r-band decline rate of ∼1 mag per 5 days appeared suggestive of a compact binary merger. However, SN 2019wxt spectroscopically resembled a type Ib supernova, and analysis of the optical-near-infrared evolution rapidly led to the conclusion that while it could not be associated with S191213g, it nevertheless represented an extreme outcome of stellar evolution. By modelling the light curve, we estimated an ejecta mass of only ∼0.1 M·, with 56Ni comprising ∼20% of this. We were broadly able to reproduce its spectral evolution with a composition dominated by helium and oxygen, with trace amounts of calcium. We considered various progenitor channels that could give rise to the observed properties of SN 2019wxt and concluded that an ultra-stripped origin in a binary system is the most likely explanation. Disentangling genuine electromagnetic counterparts to GW events from transients such as SN 2019wxt soon after discovery is challenging: in a bid to characterise this level of contamination, we estimated the rate of events with a volumetric rate density comparable to that of SN 2019wxt and found that around one such event per week can occur within the typical GW localisation area of O4 alerts out to a luminosity distance of 500 Mpc, beyond which it would become fainter than the typical depth of current electromagnetic follow-up campaigns.

U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/202244751

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/202244751

M3 - Journal article

VL - 675

JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics

SN - 1432-0746

M1 - A201

ER -