Discovery, Progenitor and Early Evolution of a Stripped Envelope Supernova iPTF13bvn

September 2013 • 2013ApJ...775L...7C

Authors • Cao, Yi • Kasliwal, Mansi M. • Arcavi, Iair • Horesh, Assaf • Hancock, Paul • Valenti, Stefano • Cenko, S. Bradley • Kulkarni, S. R. • Gal-Yam, Avishay • Gorbikov, Evgeny • Ofek, Eran O. • Sand, David • Yaron, Ofer • Graham, Melissa • Silverman, Jeffrey M. • Wheeler, J. Craig • Marion, G. H. • Walker, Emma S. • Mazzali, Paolo • Howell, D. Andrew • Li, K. L. • Kong, A. K. H. • Bloom, Joshua S. • Nugent, Peter E. • Surace, Jason • Masci, Frank • Carpenter, John • Degenaar, Nathalie • Gelino, Christopher R.

Abstract • The intermediate Palomar Transient Factory reports our discovery of a young supernova, iPTF13bvn, in the nearby galaxy, NGC 5806 (22.5 Mpc). Our spectral sequence in the optical and infrared suggests a Type Ib classification. We identify a blue progenitor candidate in deep pre-explosion imaging within a 2σ error circle of 80 mas (8.7 pc). The candidate has an M_B luminosity of -5.52 ± 0.39 mag and a B - I color of 0.25 ± 0.25 mag. If confirmed by future observations, this would be the first direct detection for a progenitor of a Type Ib. Fitting a power law to the early light curve, we find an extrapolated explosion date around 0.6 days before our first detection. We see no evidence of shock cooling. The pre-explosion detection limits constrain the radius of the progenitor to be smaller than a few solar radii. iPTF13bvn is also detected in centimeter and millimeter wavelengths. Fitting a synchrotron self-absorption model to our radio data, we find a mass-loading parameter of 1.3×10¹² g cm^-1. Assuming a wind velocity of 10³ km s^-1, we derive a progenitor mass-loss rate of 3 × 10^-5 M _⊙ yr^-1. Our observations, taken as a whole, are consistent with a Wolf-Rayet progenitor of the supernova iPTF13bvn.

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Chris Gelino

Associate Scientist