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César Rojas-Bravo

Publications and source records attributed to César Rojas-Bravo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Tomography analysis of the intermediate-luminosity Type Iax SN 2024pxl

We present an abundance tomography analysis of SN 2024pxl, an intermediate luminosity Type Iax supernova ($M_{r}=-16.82 \pm 0.19$ mag), with the most-detailed follow-up in the Type Iax subclass to-date. As one of the few intermediate luminosity Type Iax objects, SN 2024pxl may link the two extremes of the peculiar thermonuclear supernova subclass. To test this hypothesis, we analyze its spectral evolution through the first 100 days after the explosion and aim to probe the structure of its ejecta. We conduct an abundance tomography analysis using synthetic spectra produced with the one dimensional radiative transfer code TARDIS. The fit of the spectral time series provides a radial scan of physical properties and probes the stratification of chemical elements throughout most of the SN ejecta. The observed spectral evolution is well fit with the final model, similar to the general predictions of the pure deflagration scenarios, but significant modifications are required in the density function of the inner ejecta and in the chemical profiles of the outermost regions. The constrained physical characteristics, such as the photospheric velocities and the time of maximum light, are also consistent with other SNe~Iax. Despite their small number, intermediate luminosity Type Iax SNe are not outliers in the subclass but demonstrate the continuous nature of SNe Iax through their luminosity range. Following this observation, we argue that all SNe~Iax share the same progenitor and explosion origin.

astro-ph.HE↗

Direct Detection of Type II-P Supernova Progenitors with the $\textit{Euclid}$ and CSST Surveys

Identifying and characterizing supernova (SN) progenitor stars remains a central yet difficult goal in SN research, limited by archival images lacking sufficient depth or spatial resolution and circumstellar dust biasing intrinsic parameter estimates. This field will be revolutionized by $\textit{Euclid}$ and the upcoming Chinese Space-station Survey Telescope (CSST), which conduct deep, wide-field, high-resolution and multi-band imaging surveys. We evaluate their detection capability by comparing model magnitudes of RSG progenitors with detection limits, finding their optical and near-infrared filters highly effective. Monte-Carlo simulations predict that completed $\textit{Euclid}$ and CSST surveys will enable $\lesssim$13 (or 24) progenitor detections per year within the mass range of 8--16 (or 8--25)\,$M_\odot$, an order of magnitude higher than the current detection rate of $\sim$1 per year (primarily based on HST). With the circumstellar dust, the emerging spectral energy distribution (SED) of the SN progenitor is mainly affected by the optical depth and is almost independent of dust temperature in their survey filters. Mock tests demonstrate that the progenitor mass and dust optical depth can be derived simultaneously by fitting the observed SED over 11 survey filters while fixing dust temperature to a typical value. $\textit{Euclid}$ and CSST will significantly enlarge the sample of direct progenitor detections with accurate mass measurements, crucial for resolving the long-standing RSG problem.

astro-ph.SR↗

A statistical study of the environmental age of core-collapse supernovae based on VLT/MUSE integral-field-unit spectroscopy

We aim to understand the progenitor channels of CCSNe via a statistical study of the ages of their environments. We compiled a large and minimally biased sample of 128 CCSNe discovered by untargeted wide-field transient surveys and with archival VLT/MUSE integral-field-unit spectroscopy. We measured the local Hα luminosity within a 300-pc aperture centered on the SN explosion site as an empirical proxy for the environmental age. We find that the mean local H$α$ luminosities are ordered as II(P) $\approx$ IIb $\lesssim$ Ib $<$ Ic. The differences among Types~II(P), IIb and Ib are very small, if any. Type~Ic SNe are located in clearly younger environments than the other types. Our result suggests that Type Ic SNe have much younger and more massive progenitors than the other CCSN types and they likely originate from a distinct progenitor channel. The distinction between Types II(P), IIb and Ib SNe is insensitive to progenitor mass and mainly due to the different binary separation; in contrast, Type Ic SNe predominantly require much higher-mass progenitors accompanied by close companions with large mass ratios and/or much stronger stellar wind that depends sensitively on progenitor mass.

astro-ph.SR↗

An infrared echo from a circumstellar disk in the hydrogen- and helium-poor SN 2024aecx

We present near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy of the hydrogen- and helium-poor (Type Ic) supernova (SN) 2024aecx, which displays a strong NIR excess emerging 32 days post peak. SN 2024aecx is a peculiar SN Ic that exhibited luminous shock-cooling emission at early times, suggestive of close-in circumstellar medium (CSM), unexpected for this class of SNe. Its early NIR spectra are typical for a SN Ic but with strong C I absorption features. By $\sim$32 days post peak, the spectra show a strong NIR excess, while maintaining normal optical colors, unprecedented for SNe Ic. We find that the NIR excess is well fit with a single-temperature, optically thin dust model with declining temperature, increasing mass, and roughly constant luminosity over time. The NIR excess appears too promptly for dust to have formed in the SN ejecta, indicating an IR echo from pre-existing dust in the CSM. The IR echo is likely powered by the relatively slowly evolving SN peak light, and not the brief shock cooling emission, as the latter requires unrealistically high CSM densities to explain the observed dust mass. We consider different potential CSM geometries and find that a thick face-on disk with an inner edge of around $5\times 10^{16} \rm \ cm$ can best explain the dust mass and temperature evolution. In this scenario, the SN shock should start interacting with this CSM $440\pm200$ days post explosion. CSM around SN Ic is rare, and follow-up observations of SN 2024aecx will probe the mass-loss process responsible for removing hydrogen and helium from their progenitor star.

astro-ph.HE↗

JWST Spectroscopy of SN Ia 2022aaiq and 2024gy: Evidence for Enhanced Central Stable Ni Abundance and a Deflagration-to-Detonation Transition

We present optical + near-infrared (NIR) + mid-infrared (MIR) observations of the normal Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) 2022aaiq and 2024gy in the nebular phase, continuously spanning 0.35-28 microns. Medium-resolution JWST spectroscopy reveals novel narrow ($v_{\mathrm{FWHM}}<1500$ km s$^{-1}$) [Ni II] 1.94 and 6.64 micron cores in both events. The MIR [Ni II] 6.64 micron line exhibits a distinct narrow core atop a broader base, indicating a central enhancement of stable Ni. This structure points to high central densities consistent with a near-Chandrasekhar-mass ($M_{\text{Ch}}$) progenitor or a high-metallicity sub-$M_{\text{Ch}}$ progenitor. From detailed line-profile inversions of SN 2024gy, we derive emissivity profiles for stable iron-group elements (IGEs), radioactive material, and intermediate-mass elements (IMEs), revealing spatially distinct ejecta zones. The [Ni III] 7.35 micron line shows a shallow-to-steep slope transition - a "broken-slope" morphology - that matches predictions for delayed detonation explosions with separated deflagration and detonation ashes. We also reanalyze and compare to archival JWST spectra of SN 2021aefx and the subluminous SN 2022xkq. From the stable Ni luminosities, we infer that SN 2024gy produced ~5-10 times more stable Ni mass than SN 2022xkq, favoring a near-$M_{\text{Ch}}$ scenario for SN 2024gy and sub-$M_{\text{Ch}}$ scenario for SN 2022xkq. These results demonstrate that resolved line profiles, now accessible with JWST, provide powerful diagnostics of explosion geometry, central density, and progenitor mass in SN Ia.

astro-ph.HE↗

Not All Who Wander Are Lost: Early Excess Demographics in the Volume-limited ZTF DR2 SN Ia Sample

Early-time flux excesses in Type Ia supernovae (SNe~Ia) offer a unique insight into their progenitor systems and explosion mechanisms. Although individual early-excess events and larger searches have been reported, demographic studies remain limited by sample size. We present a systematic search for early-time excess emission in a volume-limited sample ($z<0.06$) of SNe~Ia based on the Zwicky Transient Facility Data Release 2 (ZTF DR2). Using ZTF $g$- and $r$-band light curves, we identify candidates showing early-excesses shortly after the explosion time, and we apply conservative coverage and quality requirements to build reliable ``excess'' and ``no-excess'' bump and no-bump catalogs. From an initial sample of 1547 SNe~Ia, our final catalogs contain 42 early-excess and 110 no-excess events. We compare the two populations using SN and host environment parameters from ZTF DR2 and quantify the differences using two-sample statistical tests. We find the strongest differences are in SN light-curve properties: early-excess events have larger SALT2 stretch $x_1$ ($7.91σ$) and larger $r$-band secondary-maximum flux $\mathcal{F}_{r_2}$ ($6.25σ$), while differences in SALT2 color $c$ are weak ($0.57σ$). Early-excess events also favor bluer $(g-z)_{\rm local}$ ($3.41σ$) and lower $\log_{10} (M_*/M_\odot)_{\rm local}$ ($2.73σ$). Our results connect early excesses with SNe~Ia diversity, and motivate further analyses of upcoming larger samples.

astro-ph.HE↗

SN 2024abfl: A Low-Luminosity Type IIP Supernova in NGC 2146 from a Low-Mass Red Supergiant Progenitor

Type IIP supernovae (SNe IIP) exhibit a significant diversity in their explosion properties, yet the physical mechanisms driving this diversity remain unknown. In this work, we present photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2024abfl, a SN IIP in NGC 2146 with a directly detected red supergiant (RSG) progenitor. We find it has a low plateau luminosity ($M_V \sim -15$ mag) and a relatively long plateau length ($\sim 126.5$ days). By fitting a semi-analytical model, we estimated a $^{56}$Ni mass of $\sim 0.009 M_\odot$, an initial kinetic energy of $\sim 0.42$ foe, an initial thermal energy of $\sim 0.03$ foe and an ejecta mass of $\sim 8.3 M_\odot$. The spectral evolution of SN 2024abfl is similar to those of other SNe IIP, except for much lower ejecta velocities at similar epochs. At later epochs, we find a relatively high-velocity H$α$ absorption feature at $\sim -4000$ km s$^{-1}$, possibly due to a fast-moving plume of matter in the inner ejecta, and two emission features at $\pm 2000$ km s$^{-1}$, possibly caused by CSM interaction. We estimate the progenitor mass to be $\le 15 M_\odot$ based on nebular spectra. We conclude that SN 2024abfl is a low-luminosity SN IIP originating from a low-mass RSG progenitor.

astro-ph.HE↗

Feeling Blue: Constructing a Robust SALT3 UV Template and Constraining its Redshift Dependency

Upcoming cosmological surveys will obtain numerous rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) observations of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), yet there is concern about how standardizable SNe Ia are in the UV. In this work, we train a robust optical--UV SED model for SNe Ia (SALT3-UV) with the open-source model-training software $\texttt{SALTshaker}$. We incorporate a spectroscopic UV data sample from HST, including 67 UV spectra from 18 nearby SNe Ia. Unlike previous training spectra, the HST spectra have sufficiently precise calibration that they do not require additional warping to match coincident photometric data. Additionally, while including this new SN Ia sample necessitates incorporating auxiliary photometric data from ZTF and ATLAS that have insufficient calibration for cosmological analyses, the improvements in the calibration of these data is anticipated in the near future. Compared to the previous SALT3-K21 model, the SALT3-UV model shows a significant improvement in the UV down to $2000\mathring{\text{A}}$, with over a threefold improvement in model uncertainty and a more physically accurate continuum and line features. We further evaluate potential redshift evolution in the UV template by separating the UV training sample into low- and high-$z$ subsamples. Our results reveal a non-negligible $\gtrsim 0.05$ mag difference between low- and high-$z$ SALT3-UV models in the $g-$band at $z\gtrsim0.5$ and the $u-$band at $z\gtrsim0.2$. We demonstrate that, if confirmed, such evolution could lead to a few-percent bias in the measurement of $w$ if high-$z$ rest-frame UV data are included in future cosmological surveys such as LSST and $\textit{Roman}$.

astro-ph.CO↗

SN 2025coe: A Multiple-Peaked Calcium-Strong Transient from A White-Dwarf Progenitor

SN 2025coe is a calcium-strong transient located at an extremely large projected offset $\sim$39.3 kpc from the center of its host, the nearby early-type galaxy NGC 3277 at a distance of $\sim$25.5 Mpc. In this paper, we present multi-band photometric and spectroscopic observations spanning $\sim$100 days post-discovery. Its multi-band light curves display {multiple} distinct peaks: (1) an initial peak at $t \approx 1.6$ days attributed to shock cooling emission, (2) a secondary peak of $M_{R, \, peak} \approx$ $-$15.8 mag at $t \approx 10.2$ days powered by radioactive decay, and (3) a {possible} late-time bump at $t \approx 42.8$ days likely caused by ejecta-circumstellar material/clump interaction. Spectral evolution of SN 2025coe reveals a fast transition to the nebular phase within 2 months, where it exhibits an exceptionally high [Ca II]/[O I] ratio larger than 6. Modeling of the bolometric light curve suggests an ejecta mass of $M_{\rm ej} = 0.29^{+0.14}_{-0.15} \, M_{\odot}$, a $^{56}$Ni mass of $M_{\rm ^{56}Ni} = 2.4^{+0.06}_{-0.05} \times 10^{-2} M_{\odot}$, and a progenitor envelope with mass $M_e = 1.4^{+6.9}_{-1.2} \times 10^{-3} \, M_{\odot}$ and radius $R_e = 13.5^{+64.1}_{-11.1} \, R_{\odot}$. The tidal disruption of a hybrid HeCO white dwarf (WD) by a low-mass CO WD provides a natural explanation for the low ejecta mass, the small fraction of $^{56}$Ni, and the presence of an extended, low-mass envelope.

astro-ph.HE↗

Spectral Diversity in Type Ibn Supernovae and the Large Host Offset of SN2024acyl

In this paper, we first present observations of SN~2024acyl, a normal Type Ibn supernova with a large projected offset ($\sim$35~kpc) from its host galaxy. The low star-formation rate measured at the explosion site raises the possibility that the progenitor of SN~2024acyl may not have been a massive star. We then examine, more broadly, the spectral diversity of Type Ibn supernovae around 20--35 days after peak brightness and identify two distinct groups: Group I, which shows bluer rest-frame optical color and narrower He~I emission lines; and Group II, which shows redder rest-frame optical color and broader He~I lines. Group~I also tends to show higher peak luminosities. The diversity we identify appears to be closely connected to the diversity observed around peak and to persist into late phases ($>80$ days after peak). Given its redder color and broader He~I lines, we classify SN~2024acyl as belonging to Group II. Based on the current dataset, we find no clear connection between this spectral diversity and either the host environments of Type Ibn SNe or their pre-explosion activity. The observed diversity in Type Ibn SNe likely reflects differences in circumstellar material properties and/or explosion energetics. These differences could result from a range of progenitor properties, such as different helium star mass, orbital period and companion type if they are in binary systems, and may indicate fundamentally diverse progenitors. Whether a continuous distribution exists between the two groups remains to be determined and will require further data to explore.

astro-ph.HE↗

JWST and Ground-based Observations of the Type Iax Supernovae SN 2024pxl and SN 2024vjm: Evidence for Weak Deflagration Explosions

We present panchromatic optical $+$ near-infrared (NIR) $+$ mid-infrared (MIR) observations of the intermediate-luminosity Type Iax supernova (SN Iax) 2024pxl and the extremely low-luminosity SN Iax 2024vjm. JWST observations provide unprecedented MIR spectroscopy of SN Iax, spanning from $+$11 to $+$42 days past maximum light. We detect forbidden emission lines in the MIR at these early times while the optical and NIR are dominated by permitted lines with an absorption component. Panchromatic spectra at early times can thus simultaneously show nebular and photospheric lines, probing both inner and outer layers of the ejecta. We identify spectral lines not seen before in SN Iax, including [Mg II] 4.76 $μ$m, [Mg II] 9.71 $μ$m, [Ne II] 12.81 $μ$m, and isolated O I 2.76 $μ$m that traces unburned material. Forbidden emission lines of all species are centrally peaked with similar kinematic distributions, indicating that the ejecta are well mixed in both SN 2024pxl and SN 2024vjm, a hallmark of pure deflagration explosion models. Radiative transfer modeling of SN 2024pxl shows good agreement with a weak deflagration of a near-Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf, but additional IR flux is needed to match the observations, potentially attributable to a surviving remnant. Similarly, we find SN 2024vjm is also best explained by a weak deflagration model, despite the large difference in luminosity between the two supernovae. Future modeling should push to even weaker explosions and include the contribution of a bound remnant. Our observations demonstrate the diagnostic power of panchromatic spectroscopy for unveiling explosion physics in thermonuclear supernovae.

astro-ph.HE↗

Optimizing Convolution Direction and Template Selection for Difference Image Analysis

Difference image analysis (DIA) is a powerful tool for studying time-variable phenomena, and has been used by many time-domain surveys. Most DIA algorithms involve matching the spatially-varying PSF shape between science and template images, and then convolving that shape in one image to match the other. The wrong choice of which image to convolve can introduce one of the largest sources of artifacts in the final difference image. We introduce a quantitative metric to determine the optimal convolution direction that depends not only on the sharpness of the images measured by their FWHM, but also on their exposure depths. With this metric, the optimal convolution direction can be determined a priori, depending only on the FWHM and depth of the images. This not only simplifies the process, but also makes it more robust and less prone to creating sub-optimal difference images due to the wrong choice of the convolution direction. As an additional benefit, for a large set of images, we define a Figure-of-Merit based on this metric, which allows us to rank a list of images and determine the ones best suited to be used as templates, thus streamlining and automating the data reduction process.

astro-ph.IM↗

An Asymmetric Double-Degenerate Type Ia Supernova Explosion with a Surviving Companion Star

We present nebular spectroscopy of SN 2020hvf, a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) with an early bump in its light curve. SN 2020hvf shares many spectroscopic and photometric similarities to the carbon-rich high-luminosity "03fg-like" SNe Ia. At $>$240 days after peak brightness, we detect unambiguous emission from [Ca II] $λλ$7291, 7324 which is never observed in normal-SNe Ia and only seen in peculiar subclasses. SN 2020hvf displays "saw-tooth" emission profiles near 7300 A that cannot be explained with single symmetric velocity components of [Fe II], [Ni II], and [Ca II], indicating an asymmetric explosion. The broad [Ca II] emission is best modeled by two velocity components offset by 1,220 km s$^{-1}$, which could be caused by ejecta associated with each star in the progenitor system, separated by their orbital velocity. For the first time in a SN Ia, we identify narrow (${\rm FWHM} = 180\pm40$ km s$^{-1}$) [Ca II] emission, which we associate with a wind from a surviving, puffed-up companion star. Few published spectra have sufficient resolution and signal-to-noise ratio necessary to detect similar narrow [Ca II] emission, however, we have detected similar line profiles in other 03fg-like SNe Ia. The extremely narrow velocity width of [Ca II] has only otherwise been observed in SNe Iax at late times. Since this event likely had a double-degenerate "super-Chandrasekhar" mass progenitor system, we suggest that a single white dwarf (WD) was fully disrupted and a wind from a surviving companion WD is producing the observed narrow emission. It is unclear if this unique progenitor and explosion scenario can explain the diversity of 03fg-like SNe Ia, potentially indicating that multiple progenitor channels contribute to this subclass.

astro-ph.HE↗

Strong Carbon Features and a Red Early Color in the Underluminous Type Ia SN 2022xkq

We present optical, infrared, ultraviolet, and radio observations of SN 2022xkq, an underluminous fast-declining type Ia supernova (SN Ia) in NGC 1784 ($\mathrm{D}\approx31$ Mpc), from $<1$ to 180 days after explosion. The high-cadence observations of SN 2022xkq, a photometrically transitional and spectroscopically 91bg-like SN Ia, cover the first days and weeks following explosion which are critical to distinguishing between explosion scenarios. The early light curve of SN 2022xkq has a red early color and exhibits a flux excess which is more prominent in redder bands; this is the first time such a feature has been seen in a transitional/91bg-like SN Ia. We also present 92 optical and 19 near-infrared (NIR) spectra, beginning 0.4 days after explosion in the optical and 2.6 days after explosion in the NIR. SN 2022xkq exhibits a long-lived C I 1.0693 $μ$m feature which persists until 5 days post-maximum. We also detect C II $λ$6580 in the pre-maximum optical spectra. These lines are evidence for unburnt carbon that is difficult to reconcile with the double detonation of a sub-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarf. No existing explosion model can fully explain the photometric and spectroscopic dataset of SN 2022xkq, but the considerable breadth of the observations is ideal for furthering our understanding of the processes which produce faint SNe Ia.

astro-ph.HE↗

Late-time Hubble Space Telescope Observations of AT 2018cow. II. Evolution of a UV bright Underlying Source 2--4 Yr Post-discovery

In this second of a two-paper series, we present a detailed analysis of three HST observations taken $\sim$2--4 years post-discovery, examining the evolution of a UV-bright underlying source at the precise position of AT 2018cow. While observations at $\sim$2--3 years post-discovery revealed an exceptionally blue ($L_ν\propto ν^{1.99}$) underlying source with relatively stable optical brightness, fading in the NUV was observed at year 4, indicating flattening in the spectrum (to $L_ν\propto ν^{1.64}$). The resulting spectral energy distributions can be described by an extremely hot but small blackbody, and the fading may be intrinsic (cooling) or extrinsic (increased absorption). Considering possible scenarios and explanations, we disfavor significant contributions from stellar sources and dust formation based on the observed color and brightness. By comparing the expected power and the observed luminosity, we rule out interaction with the known radio-producing circumstellar material as well as magnetar spin down with $B\sim10^{15}\,\mathrm{G}$ as possible power sources, though we cannot rule out the possible existence of a denser CSM component (e.g., previously ejected hydrogen envelope) or a magnetar with $B\lesssim10^{14}\,\mathrm{G}$. Finally, we find that a highly-inclined precessing accretion disk can reasonably explain the color, brightness, and evolution of the underlying source. However, a major uncertainty in this scenario is the mass of the central black hole (BH), as both stellar-mass and intermediate-mass BHs face notable challenges that cannot be explained by our simple disk model, and further observations and theoretical works are needed to fully constrain the nature of this underlying source.

astro-ph.HE↗

Late-time Hubble Space Telescope Observations of AT 2018cow. I. Further Constraints on the Fading Prompt Emission and Thermal Properties 50--60 Days Post-discovery

The exact nature of the luminous fast blue optical transient AT 2018cow is still debated. In this first of a two-paper series, we present a detailed analysis of three Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of AT 2018cow covering $\sim$50--60 days post-discovery in combination with other observations throughout the first two months, and derive significantly improved constraints of the late thermal properties. By modeling the spectral energy distributions (SEDs), we confirm that the UV-optical emission over 50--60 days was still a smooth blackbody (i.e., optically thick) with a high temperature ($T_{\mathrm{BB}}\sim15000\,\mathrm{K}$) and small radius ($R_{\mathrm{BB}}\lesssim1000\,R_\odot$). Additionally, we report for the first time a break in the bolometric light curve: the thermal luminosity initially declined at a rate of $L_{\mathrm{BB}}\propto t^{-2.40}$, but faded much faster at $t^{-3.06}$ after day 13. Reexamining possible late-time power sources, we disfavor significant contributions from radioactive decay based on the required $^{56}$Ni mass and lack of UV line blanketing in the HST SEDs. We argue that the commonly proposed interaction with circumstellar material may face significant challenges in explaining the late thermal properties, particularly the effects of the optical depth. Alternatively, we find that continuous outflow/wind driven by a central engine can still reasonably explain the combination of a receding photosphere, optically thick and rapidly fading emission, and intermediate-width lines. However, the rapid fading may have further implications on the power output and structure of the system. Our findings may support the hypothesis that AT 2018cow and other "Cow-like transients" are powered mainly by accretion onto a central engine.

astro-ph.HE↗

Relative intrinsic scatter in hierarchical Type Ia supernova siblings analyses: Application to SNe 2021hpr, 1997bq & 2008fv in NGC 3147

We present Young Supernova Experiment $grizy$ photometry of SN 2021hpr, the third Type Ia supernova sibling to explode in the Cepheid calibrator galaxy, NGC 3147. Siblings are useful for improving SN-host distance estimates, and investigating the contributions towards the SN Ia intrinsic scatter (post-standardisation residual scatter in distance estimates). We thus develop a principled Bayesian framework for analyzing SN Ia siblings. At its core is the cosmology-independent relative intrinsic scatter parameter, $σ_{Rel}$: the dispersion of siblings distance estimates relative to one another within a galaxy. It quantifies the contribution towards the total intrinsic scatter, $σ_0$, from within-galaxy variations about the siblings' common properties. It also affects the combined-distance uncertainty. We present analytic formulae for computing a $σ_{Rel}$-posterior from individual siblings distances (estimated using any SN-model). Applying a newly trained BayeSN model, we fit the light curves of each sibling in NGC 3147 individually, to yield consistent distance estimates. However, the wide $σ_{Rel}$-posterior means $σ_{Rel}\approxσ_0$ is not ruled out. We thus combine the distances by marginalizing over $σ_{Rel}$ with an informative prior: $σ_{Rel}\sim U(0,σ_0)$. Simultaneously fitting the trio's light curves improves constraints on distance, and each sibling's individual dust parameters, compared to individual fits. Higher correlation also tightens dust parameter constraints. Therefore, $σ_{Rel}$-marginalization yields robust estimates of siblings distances for cosmology, and dust parameters for siblings-host correlation studies. Incorporating NGC 3147's Cepheid-distance yields $H_0=78.4\pm 6.5\,$km/s/Mpc. Our work motivates analyses of homogeneous siblings samples, to constrain $σ_{Rel}$, and its SN-model dependence.

astro-ph.CO↗

Ground-based and JWST Observations of SN 2022pul: I. Unusual Signatures of Carbon, Oxygen, and Circumstellar Interaction in a Peculiar Type Ia Supernova

Nebular-phase observations of peculiar Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) provide important constraints on progenitor scenarios and explosion dynamics for both these rare SNe and the more common, cosmologically useful SNe Ia. We present observations from an extensive ground-based and space-based follow-up campaign to characterize SN 2022pul, a "super-Chandrasekhar" mass SN Ia (alternatively "03fg-like" SN), from before peak brightness to well into the nebular phase across optical to mid-infrared (MIR) wavelengths. The early rise of the light curve is atypical, exhibiting two distinct components, consistent with SN Ia ejecta interacting with dense carbon-oxygen rich circumstellar material (CSM). In the optical, SN 2022pul is most similar to SN 2012dn, having a low estimated peak luminosity ($M_{B}=-18.9$ mag) and high photospheric velocity relative to other 03fg-like SNe. In the nebular phase, SN 2022pul adds to the increasing diversity of the 03fg-like subclass. From 168 to 336 days after peak $B$-band brightness, SN 2022pul exhibits asymmetric and narrow emission from [O I] $λλ6300,\ 6364$ (${\rm FWHM} \approx 2{,}000$ km s$^{-1}$), strong, broad emission from [Ca II] $λλ7291,\ 7323$ (${\rm FWHM} \approx 7{,}300$ km s$^{-1}$), and a rapid Fe III to Fe II ionization change. Finally, we present the first-ever optical-to-mid-infrared (MIR) nebular spectrum of an 03fg-like SN Ia using data from JWST. In the MIR, strong lines of neon and argon, weak emission from stable nickel, and strong thermal dust emission (with $T \approx 500$ K), combined with prominent [O I] in the optical, suggest that SN 2022pul was produced by a white dwarf merger within carbon/oxygen-rich CSM.

astro-ph.HE↗