Investigating the Electron-capture Supernova Candidate AT 2019abn with JWST Spectroscopy
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has opened up a new window to study highly reddened explosive transients. We present results from late-time JWST follow-up spectroscopic observations with NIRSpec and MIRI-LRS of the intermediate-luminosity red transient (ILRT) AT 2019abn. ILRTs represent a myst...
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adad61 |
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| author | Sam Rose Ryan M. Lau Jacob E. Jencson Mansi M. Kasliwal Kishalay De Michael E. Ressler Ori D. Fox Matthew J. Hankins |
| author_facet | Sam Rose Ryan M. Lau Jacob E. Jencson Mansi M. Kasliwal Kishalay De Michael E. Ressler Ori D. Fox Matthew J. Hankins |
| author_sort | Sam Rose |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has opened up a new window to study highly reddened explosive transients. We present results from late-time JWST follow-up spectroscopic observations with NIRSpec and MIRI-LRS of the intermediate-luminosity red transient (ILRT) AT 2019abn. ILRTs represent a mysterious class of transients that exhibit peak luminosities between those of classical novae and supernovae and that are known to be highly dust obscured. Similar to the prototypical examples of this class of objects, NGC 300 2008-OT and SN 2008S, AT 2019abn has an extremely red and dusty progenitor detected only in pre-explosion Spitzer/IRAC imaging at 3.6 and 4.5 μ m and not in deep optical or near-infrared Hubble Space Telescope images. We find that late-time observations of AT 2019abn from NEOWISE and JWST are consistent with the late-time evolution of SN 2008S. In part because they are so obscured by dust, it is unknown what produces an ILRT, with hypotheses including high-mass stellar merger events, nonterminal stellar outbursts, and terminal supernova explosions through electron capture in super-AGB (SAGB) stars. Our JWST observations show strong mid-IR class C polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon features at 6.3 and 8.25 μ m typical of carbon-rich post-AGB sources. These features suggest that the dust around AT 2019abn is composed of carbonaceous grains, which are not typically observed around red supergiants. However, depending on the strength and temperature of hot bottom burning, SAGB stars may be expected to exhibit a carbon-rich chemistry. Thus, our JWST observations are consistent with AT 2019abn having an SAGB progenitor and exploding as an electron-capture supernova. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-04c1c91ddb364d15a95d6c22fc28767b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-8205 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
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| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-04c1c91ddb364d15a95d6c22fc28767b2025-02-08T06:19:56ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052025-01-019801L1410.3847/2041-8213/adad61Investigating the Electron-capture Supernova Candidate AT 2019abn with JWST SpectroscopySam Rose0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4725-4481Ryan M. Lau1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0778-0321Jacob E. Jencson2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5754-4007Mansi M. Kasliwal3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5619-4938Kishalay De4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8989-0542Michael E. Ressler5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5644-8830Ori D. Fox6https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2238-1572Matthew J. Hankins7https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9315-8437Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA ; [email protected] NOIRLab , 950 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719, USAIPAC , Mailcode 100-22, Caltech, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USADivision of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA ; [email protected] Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research , 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USAJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , MS 169-327, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USASpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USAArkansas Tech University , 215 West O Street, Russellville, AR 72801, USAThe James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has opened up a new window to study highly reddened explosive transients. We present results from late-time JWST follow-up spectroscopic observations with NIRSpec and MIRI-LRS of the intermediate-luminosity red transient (ILRT) AT 2019abn. ILRTs represent a mysterious class of transients that exhibit peak luminosities between those of classical novae and supernovae and that are known to be highly dust obscured. Similar to the prototypical examples of this class of objects, NGC 300 2008-OT and SN 2008S, AT 2019abn has an extremely red and dusty progenitor detected only in pre-explosion Spitzer/IRAC imaging at 3.6 and 4.5 μ m and not in deep optical or near-infrared Hubble Space Telescope images. We find that late-time observations of AT 2019abn from NEOWISE and JWST are consistent with the late-time evolution of SN 2008S. In part because they are so obscured by dust, it is unknown what produces an ILRT, with hypotheses including high-mass stellar merger events, nonterminal stellar outbursts, and terminal supernova explosions through electron capture in super-AGB (SAGB) stars. Our JWST observations show strong mid-IR class C polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon features at 6.3 and 8.25 μ m typical of carbon-rich post-AGB sources. These features suggest that the dust around AT 2019abn is composed of carbonaceous grains, which are not typically observed around red supergiants. However, depending on the strength and temperature of hot bottom burning, SAGB stars may be expected to exhibit a carbon-rich chemistry. Thus, our JWST observations are consistent with AT 2019abn having an SAGB progenitor and exploding as an electron-capture supernova.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adad61Transient sourcesSupernovaeAsymptotic giant branch starsStellar mergersInfrared spectroscopyInfrared photometry |
| spellingShingle | Sam Rose Ryan M. Lau Jacob E. Jencson Mansi M. Kasliwal Kishalay De Michael E. Ressler Ori D. Fox Matthew J. Hankins Investigating the Electron-capture Supernova Candidate AT 2019abn with JWST Spectroscopy The Astrophysical Journal Letters Transient sources Supernovae Asymptotic giant branch stars Stellar mergers Infrared spectroscopy Infrared photometry |
| title | Investigating the Electron-capture Supernova Candidate AT 2019abn with JWST Spectroscopy |
| title_full | Investigating the Electron-capture Supernova Candidate AT 2019abn with JWST Spectroscopy |
| title_fullStr | Investigating the Electron-capture Supernova Candidate AT 2019abn with JWST Spectroscopy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating the Electron-capture Supernova Candidate AT 2019abn with JWST Spectroscopy |
| title_short | Investigating the Electron-capture Supernova Candidate AT 2019abn with JWST Spectroscopy |
| title_sort | investigating the electron capture supernova candidate at 2019abn with jwst spectroscopy |
| topic | Transient sources Supernovae Asymptotic giant branch stars Stellar mergers Infrared spectroscopy Infrared photometry |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adad61 |
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