iPTF 16hgs: A Double-peaked Ca-rich Gap Transient in a Metal-poor, Star-forming Dwarf Galaxy

October 2018 • 2018ApJ...866...72D

Authors • De, Kishalay • Kasliwal, Mansi M. • Cantwell, Therese • Cao, Yi • Cenko, S. Bradley • Gal-Yam, Avishay • Johansson, Joel • Kong, Albert • Kulkarni, Shrinivas R. • Lunnan, Ragnhild • Masci, Frank • Matuszewski, Matt • Mooley, Kunal P. • Neill, James D. • Nugent, Peter E. • Ofek, Eran O. • Perrott, Yvette • Rebbapragada, Umaa D. • Rubin, Adam • O' Sullivan, Donal • Yaron, Ofer

Abstract • Calcium-rich gap transients represent an intriguing new class of faint and fast-evolving supernovae that exhibit strong [Ca II] emission in their nebular phase spectra. In this paper, we present the discovery and follow-up observations of a faint and fast-evolving transient, iPTF 16hgs, that exhibited a double-peaked light curve. Exhibiting a Type Ib spectrum in the photospheric phase and an early transition to a [Ca II] dominated nebular phase, iPTF 16hgs shows properties consistent with the class of Ca-rich gap transients, with two important exceptions. First, while the second peak of the light curve is similar to other Ca-rich gap transients, the first blue and fast-fading peak (declining over ≈2 days) is unique to this source. Second, we find that iPTF 16hgs occurred in the outskirts (projected offset of ≈6 kpc ≈ 1.9 R _eff) of a low-metallicity (≈0.4 Z _⊙), star-forming, dwarf spiral galaxy. Deep limits from late-time radio observations suggest a low-density environment for the source. If iPTF 16hgs shares explosion physics with the class of Ca-rich gap transients, the first peak can be explained by the presence of 0.01 M _⊙ of ⁵⁶Ni in the outer layers the ejecta, reminiscent of some models of He-shell detonations on WDs. However, if iPTF 16hgs is physically unrelated to the class, the first peak is consistent with shock cooling emission (of an envelope with a mass of ≈0.08 M _⊙ and radius of ≈13 R _⊙) in a core-collapse explosion of a highly stripped massive star in a close binary system.

Links

• PREPRINT http://arxiv.org/abs/1806.10623
• NED https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/uri/NED::InRefcode/2018ApJ...866...72D
• ELECTR https://doi.org/10.3847%2F1538-4357%2Faadf8e
• SIMBAD http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbo.pl?bibcode=2018ApJ...866...72D
• PDF https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/aadf8e/pdf
• PDF https://stacks.iop.org/0004-637X/866/72/pdf
• DATA https://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/bibdata/2018/D/2018ApJ...866...72D.html