Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rose, Sam, Lau, Ryan M., Jencson, Jacob E., Kasliwal, Mansi M., De, Kishalay, Ressler, Michael E., Fox, Ori D., Hankins, Matthew J.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.20430
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866910546060640256
author Rose, Sam
Lau, Ryan M.
Jencson, Jacob E.
Kasliwal, Mansi M.
De, Kishalay
Ressler, Michael E.
Fox, Ori D.
Hankins, Matthew J.
author_facet Rose, Sam
Lau, Ryan M.
Jencson, Jacob E.
Kasliwal, Mansi M.
De, Kishalay
Ressler, Michael E.
Fox, Ori D.
Hankins, Matthew J.
contents The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has opened up a new window to study highly reddened explosive transients. We present results from late-time (1421 days post-explosion) JWST follow-up spectroscopic observations with NIRSpec and MIRI LRS of the intermediate luminosity red transient (ILRT) AT 2019abn located in the nearby Messier 51 galaxy (8.6 Mpc). ILRTs represent a mysterious class of transients which exhibit peak luminosities between those of classical novae and supernovae and which 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 micron and not in deep optical or near-infrared HST 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 ranging from high mass stellar merger events, non-terminal stellar outbursts, or terminal supernovae explosions through electron-capture in super-AGB stars. Our JWST observations show strong mid-IR Class C PAH features at 6.3 and 8.25 micron typical of carbon-rich post-AGB sources. These features suggest the dust around AT 2019abn, either pre-existing or newly formed in the ejecta, is composed of carbonaceous grains which are not typically observed around red supergiants. However, depending on the strength and temperature of hot bottom burning, SAGBs may be expected to exhibit a carbon-rich chemistry. Thus our JWST observations are consistent with AT 2019abn having an SAGB progenitor.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2407_20430
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Investigating the Electron Capture Supernova Candidate AT 2019abn with JWST Spectroscopy
Rose, Sam
Lau, Ryan M.
Jencson, Jacob E.
Kasliwal, Mansi M.
De, Kishalay
Ressler, Michael E.
Fox, Ori D.
Hankins, Matthew J.
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has opened up a new window to study highly reddened explosive transients. We present results from late-time (1421 days post-explosion) JWST follow-up spectroscopic observations with NIRSpec and MIRI LRS of the intermediate luminosity red transient (ILRT) AT 2019abn located in the nearby Messier 51 galaxy (8.6 Mpc). ILRTs represent a mysterious class of transients which exhibit peak luminosities between those of classical novae and supernovae and which 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 micron and not in deep optical or near-infrared HST 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 ranging from high mass stellar merger events, non-terminal stellar outbursts, or terminal supernovae explosions through electron-capture in super-AGB stars. Our JWST observations show strong mid-IR Class C PAH features at 6.3 and 8.25 micron typical of carbon-rich post-AGB sources. These features suggest the dust around AT 2019abn, either pre-existing or newly formed in the ejecta, is composed of carbonaceous grains which are not typically observed around red supergiants. However, depending on the strength and temperature of hot bottom burning, SAGBs may be expected to exhibit a carbon-rich chemistry. Thus our JWST observations are consistent with AT 2019abn having an SAGB progenitor.
title Investigating the Electron Capture Supernova Candidate AT 2019abn with JWST Spectroscopy
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.20430