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arXiv · 2109.01752

A transient radio source consistent with a merger-triggered core collapse supernova

Dillon Z. Dong·Gregg Hallinan·Ehud Nakar·Anna Y. Q. Ho·Andrew K. Hughes·Kenta Hotokezaka·Steve T. Myers·Kishalay De·Kunal Mooley·Vikram Ravi·Assaf Horesh·Mansi M. Kasliwal·Shri R. Kulkarni
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Abstract

A core-collapse supernova occurs when exothermic fusion ceases in the core of a massive star, typically due to exhaustion of nuclear fuel. Theory predicts that fusion could be interrupted earlier, by merging of the star with a compact binary companion. We report a luminous radio transient, VT J121001+495647, found in the Very Large Array Sky Survey. The radio emission is consistent with supernova ejecta colliding with a dense shell of material, potentially ejected by binary interaction in the centuries prior to explosion. We associate the supernova with an archival X-ray transient, which implies a relativistic jet was launched during the explosion. The combination of an early relativistic jet and late-time dense interaction is consistent with expectations for a merger-driven explosion.

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Dillon Z. Dong, Gregg Hallinan, Ehud Nakar, Anna Y. Q. Ho, Andrew K. Hughes, Kenta Hotokezaka, Steve T. Myers, Kishalay De, Kunal Mooley, Vikram Ravi, Assaf Horesh, Mansi M. Kasliwal, Shri R. Kulkarni. 2021-09-03. A transient radio source consistent with a merger-triggered core collapse supernova. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abg6037

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