J/ApJ/782/42 Panchromatic observations of PTF11qcj (Corsi+, 2014)
A multi-wavelength investigation of the radio-loud supernova PTF11qcj and its
circumstellar environment.
Corsi A., Ofek E.O., Gal-Yam A., Frail D.A., Kulkarni S.R., Fox D.B.,
Kasliwal M.M., Sullivan M., Horesh A., Carpenter J., Maguire K., Arcavi I.,
Cenko S.B., Cao Y., Mooley K., Pan Y.-C., Sesar B., Sternberg A., Xu D.,
Bersier D., James P., Bloom J.S., Nugent P.E.
<Astrophys. J., 782, 42 (2014)>
=2014ApJ...782...42C 2014ApJ...782...42C (SIMBAD/NED BibCode)
ADC_Keywords: Supernovae ; Photometry, ugriz
Keywords: supernovae: general - supernovae: individual: PTF11qcj
Abstract:
We present the discovery, classification, and extensive panchromatic
(from radio to X-ray) follow-up observations of PTF11qcj, a supernova
(SN) discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). Our
observations with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array show that this
event is radio-loud: PTF11qcj reached a radio peak luminosity
comparable to that of the famous gamma-ray-burst-associated SN 1998bw
(L5GHz~1029erg/s/Hz). PTF11qcj is also detected in X-rays
with the Chandra Observatory, and in the infrared band with Spitzer.
Our multi-wavelength analysis probes the SN interaction with
circumstellar material. The radio observations suggest a progenitor
mass-loss rate of ∼10-4M☉/yr*(vw/1000km/s), and a velocity
of ~0.3-0.5c for the fastest moving ejecta (at ~10 days
after explosion). However, these estimates are derived assuming the
simplest model of SN ejecta interacting with a smooth circumstellar
wind, and do not account for possible inhomogeneities in the medium
and asphericity of the explosion. The radio data show deviations from
such a simple model, as well as a late-time re-brightening. The X-ray
flux from PTF11qcj is compatible with the high-frequency extrapolation
of the radio synchrotron emission (within the large uncertainties). A
light echo from pre-existing dust is in agreement with our infrared
data. Our pre-explosion data from the PTF suggest that a precursor
eruption of absolute magnitude Mr~-13mag may have occurred
~2.5yr prior to the SN explosion. Overall, PTF11qcj fits the
expectations from the explosion of a Wolf-Rayet star. Precursor
eruptions may be a feature characterizing the final pre-explosion
evolution of such stars.
Description:
On 2011 November 1, we discovered PTF11qcj in an R-band image from the
48 inch Samuel Oschin telescope at Palomar Observatory (P48), which is
routinely used by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF).
Subsequent observations with the P48 were conducted with the Mould-R
and Gunn-g filters. Photometry (Table2) was performed relative to the
SDSS r-band and g-band magnitudes of stars in the field. Multi-color
optical (gri) optical light curves were also obtained using the
Palomar 60 inch telescope (P60) and the RATCAM optical imager on the
robotic 2m Liverpool Telescope (LT) located at the Roque de Los
Muchachos Observatory on La Palma.
On 2011 November 15, we started a long-term monitoring campaign of
PTF11qcj (along with calibrators J1327+4326 and 3C 286) with the Karl
G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA;
http://public.nrao.edu/telescopes/vla) in its D, DnC, C, CnB, and A
configurations, under our Target of Opportunity programs (VLA/11A-227,
VLA/11B-034, VLA/11B-247, VLA/12B-195; PI: A. Corsi). The light curves
of PTF11qcj at frequencies of 2.5GHz, 3.5GHz, 5GHz, 7.4GHz, 13.5GHz,
16GHz are reported in Table3. We also observed the field of PTF11qcj
(together with the test calibrator J1203+480) using the Combined Array
for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA;
http://www.mmarray.org/), at a frequency of 93GHz. The data collected
on 2011 November 19 and 2011 November 26 (CARMA program no. c0857; PI:
A. Horesh) both resulted in a detection of PTF11qcj (Table3).
We have carried out an X-ray monitoring campaign of PTF11qcj with
Chandra and Swift. All our Swift-XRT observations yielded non
detections (see Table 4), while Chandra detected PTF11qcj in three
epochs (DDT proposals nos. 501793, 501794, 501797; PI: A. Corsi). The
results of our X-ray follow-up are reported in Table4.
We observed the position of PTF11qcj with Spitzer on two epochs (on
2012 March 28.747 and 2012 June 25.643; Table5; DDT proposal no.
31731; PI: A. Corsi). On 2012 March 28 (Table5), we also observed the
field of PTF11qcj in Ks-band with the Palomar 200 inch telescope
(P200).
Objects:
----------------------------------------------------------
RA (ICRS) DE Designation(s)
----------------------------------------------------------
13 13 41.51 +47 17 57.0 PTF11qcj = PTF 11qcj
----------------------------------------------------------
File Summary:
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FileName Lrecl Records Explanations
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ReadMe 80 . This file
table2.dat 31 129 Optical observations of PTF11qcj
table3.dat 34 114 Radio observations of PTF11qcj
table4.dat 62 12 X-Ray observations of PTF11qcj
table5.dat 33 5 Infrared observations of PTF11qcj
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See also:
II/313 : Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) photometric catalog 1.0 (Ofek+, 2012)
Byte-by-byte Description of file: table2.dat
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Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1- 9 F9.3 d MJD [55857.5/56100] Modified Julian Date
11- 13 A3 --- Tel Telescope used in the observation (LT, P48, P60) (1)
15 A1 --- Band Passband used in the observation (g, r, i, or R)
17- 18 I2 s Exp [60/90] Exposure time
20- 25 F6.3 mag mag [17.1/22.7] Observed AB magnitude in Band
27- 31 F5.3 mag e_mag [0.01/0.2] Uncertainty in mag
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Note (1): The telescope codes are defined as below:
LT = RATCAM optical imager on the robotic 2m Liverpool Telescope (LT) located
at the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma.
P48 = The 48 inch Samuel Oschin telescope at Palomar Observatory;
P60 = Palomar 60 inch telescope.
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Byte-by-byte Description of file: table3.dat
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Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
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1- 9 F9.3 d MJD [55880.5/56429.1] Modified Julian Date
11- 17 A7 --- Obs Observatory that obtained the data (CARMA,
VLA-A, VLA-B, VLA-C, VLA-CnB, VLA-D,
or VLA-DnC) (1)
19- 22 F4.1 GHz Freq [2.5/93] Central frequency
24- 28 F5.3 mJy/beam S [0.4/7.4] Flux density
30- 34 F5.3 mJy/beam e_S [0.02/0.9] Uncertainty in S
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Note (1): The observatory codes are defined as below:
VLA = Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in its D, DnC, C, CnB, and A
configurations, under our Target of Opportunity programs
(VLA/11A-227, VLA/11B-034, VLA/11B-247, VLA/12B-195; PI: A. Corsi);
CARMA = Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy.
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Byte-by-byte Description of file: table4.dat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1- 8 F8.2 d MJD [55883/56028.4] Modified Julian Date
10- 13 A4 --- f_MJD Flag on MJD (mean)
15- 26 A12 --- Inst Instrument (Swift-XRT or Chandra-ACIS)
28- 30 F3.1 keV Band0 [0.2/0.3] Lower energy band
31 A1 --- --- [-]
32- 33 I2 keV Band1 [8/10] Upper energy band
35- 40 F6.3 ks Exp [1.2/31.4] Exposure time
42 A1 --- l_CR [<] Upper limit flag on CR
43- 46 F4.2 ms CR [0.3/3.1] Count Rate (1)
48- 51 F4.2 ms e_CR [0.1/0.3]? Error in CR
53 A1 --- l_Flux [<] Upper limit flag on Flux
54- 58 F5.1 ferg/cm2/s Flux [3/110] Unabsorbed 0.3-8keV flux
60- 62 F3.1 ferg/cm2/s e_Flux [1.2/2.6]? Error in Flux
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Note (1): Count rates have been converted into fluxes assuming a spectral index
of Γ∼1.7 and a Galactic column density NH∼1020cm-2.
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Byte-by-byte Description of file: table5.dat
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Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
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1- 9 F9.3 d MJD [56014/56104] Modified Julian Date
11- 17 A7 --- Obs Observatory (P200 or Spitzer) (1)
19- 23 F5.3 um lambda [2.1/4.5] Wavelength λ
25- 29 F5.1 uJy S [53/195] Flux density
31- 33 F3.1 uJy e_S [1.1/4] Error in S
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Note (1): The observatory codes are defined as below:
P200 = Palomar 200 inch telescope;
Spitzer = see http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/.
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History:
From electronic version of the journal
(End) Prepared by [AAS]; Sylvain Guehenneux [CDS] 03-Feb-2016