PTF10fqs: A luminous red nova in the spiral galaxy messier 99

Mansi M. Kasliwal; Shri R. Kulkarni; Iair Arcavi; Robert M. Quimby; Eran O. Ofek; Peter Nugent; Janet Jacobsen; Avishay Gal-Yam; Yoav Green; Ofer Yaron; Derek B. Fox; Jacob L. Howell; S. Bradley Cenko; Io Kleiser; Joshua S. Bloom; Adam Miller; Weidong Li; Alexei V. Filippenko; Dan Starr; Dovi Poznanski; Nicholas M. Law; George Helou; Dale A. Frail; James D. Neill; Karl Forster; D. Christopher Martin; Shriharsh P. Tendulkar; Neil Gehrels; Jamie Kennea; Mark Sullivan; Lars Bildsten; Richard Dekany; Gustavo Rahmer; David Hale; Roger Smith; Jeff Zolkower; Viswa Velur; Richard Walters; John Henning; Kahnh Bui; Dan McKenna; Cullen Blake

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/730/2/134

PTF10fqs: A luminous red nova in the spiral galaxy messier 99

Mansi M. Kasliwal, Shri R. Kulkarni, Iair Arcavi, Robert M. Quimby, Eran O. Ofek, Peter Nugent, Janet Jacobsen, Avishay Gal-Yam, Yoav Green, Ofer Yaron, Derek B. Fox, Jacob L. Howell, S. Bradley Cenko, Io Kleiser, Joshua S. Bloom, Adam Miller, Weidong Li, Alexei V. Filippenko, Dan Starr, Dovi PoznanskiNicholas M. Law, George Helou, Dale A. Frail, James D. Neill, Karl Forster, D. Christopher Martin, Shriharsh P. Tendulkar, Neil Gehrels, Jamie Kennea, Mark Sullivan, Lars Bildsten, Richard Dekany, Gustavo Rahmer, David Hale, Roger Smith, Jeff Zolkower, Viswa Velur, Richard Walters, John Henning, Kahnh Bui, Dan McKenna, Cullen Blake

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Abstract

The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is systematically charting the optical transient and variable sky. A primary science driver of PTF is building a complete inventory of transients in the local universe (distance less than 200 Mpc). Here, we report the discovery of PTF10fqs, a transient in the luminosity "gap" between novae and supernovae. Located on a spiral arm of Messier 99, PTF10fqs has a peak luminosity of M_r = -12.3, red color (g - r = 1.0), and is slowly evolving (decayed by 1mag in 68days). It has a spectrum dominated by intermediate-width Hα (930kms^-1) and narrow calcium emission lines. The explosion signature (the light curve and spectra) is overall similar to that of M85OT2006-1, SN2008S, and NGC300OT. The origin of these events is shrouded in mystery and controversy (and in some cases, in dust). PTF10fqs shows some evidence of a broad feature (around 8600) that may suggest very large velocities (10,000kms^-1) in this explosion. Ongoing surveys can be expected to find a few such events per year. Sensitive spectroscopy, infrared monitoring, and statistics (e.g., disk versus bulge) will eventually make it possible for astronomers to unravel the nature of these mysterious explosions.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	134
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	730
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/730/2/134
State	Published - Apr 1 2011

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1088/0004-637X/730/2/134

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Kasliwal, M. M., Kulkarni, S. R., Arcavi, I., Quimby, R. M., Ofek, E. O., Nugent, P., Jacobsen, J., Gal-Yam, A., Green, Y., Yaron, O., Fox, D. B., Howell, J. L., Bradley Cenko, S., Kleiser, I., Bloom, J. S., Miller, A., Li, W., Filippenko, A. V., Starr, D., ... Blake, C. (2011). PTF10fqs: A luminous red nova in the spiral galaxy messier 99. Astrophysical Journal, 730(2), Article 134. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/730/2/134

@article{a50f0926f1814202bbe85e7f6744bc26,

title = "PTF10fqs: A luminous red nova in the spiral galaxy messier 99",

abstract = "The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is systematically charting the optical transient and variable sky. A primary science driver of PTF is building a complete inventory of transients in the local universe (distance less than 200 Mpc). Here, we report the discovery of PTF10fqs, a transient in the luminosity {"}gap{"} between novae and supernovae. Located on a spiral arm of Messier 99, PTF10fqs has a peak luminosity of Mr = -12.3, red color (g - r = 1.0), and is slowly evolving (decayed by 1mag in 68days). It has a spectrum dominated by intermediate-width Hα (930kms-1) and narrow calcium emission lines. The explosion signature (the light curve and spectra) is overall similar to that of M85OT2006-1, SN2008S, and NGC300OT. The origin of these events is shrouded in mystery and controversy (and in some cases, in dust). PTF10fqs shows some evidence of a broad feature (around 8600) that may suggest very large velocities (10,000kms-1) in this explosion. Ongoing surveys can be expected to find a few such events per year. Sensitive spectroscopy, infrared monitoring, and statistics (e.g., disk versus bulge) will eventually make it possible for astronomers to unravel the nature of these mysterious explosions.",

author = "Kasliwal, \{Mansi M.\} and Kulkarni, \{Shri R.\} and Iair Arcavi and Quimby, \{Robert M.\} and Ofek, \{Eran O.\} and Peter Nugent and Janet Jacobsen and Avishay Gal-Yam and Yoav Green and Ofer Yaron and Fox, \{Derek B.\} and Howell, \{Jacob L.\} and \{Bradley Cenko\}, S. and Io Kleiser and Bloom, \{Joshua S.\} and Adam Miller and Weidong Li and Filippenko, \{Alexei V.\} and Dan Starr and Dovi Poznanski and Law, \{Nicholas M.\} and George Helou and Frail, \{Dale A.\} and Neill, \{James D.\} and Karl Forster and \{Christopher Martin\}, D. and Tendulkar, \{Shriharsh P.\} and Neil Gehrels and Jamie Kennea and Mark Sullivan and Lars Bildsten and Richard Dekany and Gustavo Rahmer and David Hale and Roger Smith and Jeff Zolkower and Viswa Velur and Richard Walters and John Henning and Kahnh Bui and Dan McKenna and Cullen Blake",

year = "2011",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1088/0004-637X/730/2/134",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "730",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "2",

}

Kasliwal, MM, Kulkarni, SR, Arcavi, I, Quimby, RM, Ofek, EO, Nugent, P, Jacobsen, J, Gal-Yam, A, Green, Y, Yaron, O, Fox, DB, Howell, JL, Bradley Cenko, S, Kleiser, I, Bloom, JS, Miller, A, Li, W, Filippenko, AV, Starr, D, Poznanski, D, Law, NM, Helou, G, Frail, DA, Neill, JD, Forster, K, Christopher Martin, D, Tendulkar, SP, Gehrels, N, Kennea, J, Sullivan, M, Bildsten, L, Dekany, R, Rahmer, G, Hale, D, Smith, R, Zolkower, J, Velur, V, Walters, R, Henning, J, Bui, K, McKenna, D & Blake, C 2011, 'PTF10fqs: A luminous red nova in the spiral galaxy messier 99', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 730, no. 2, 134. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/730/2/134

TY - JOUR

T1 - PTF10fqs

T2 - A luminous red nova in the spiral galaxy messier 99

AU - Kasliwal, Mansi M.

AU - Kulkarni, Shri R.

AU - Arcavi, Iair

AU - Quimby, Robert M.

AU - Ofek, Eran O.

AU - Nugent, Peter

AU - Jacobsen, Janet

AU - Gal-Yam, Avishay

AU - Green, Yoav

AU - Yaron, Ofer

AU - Fox, Derek B.

AU - Howell, Jacob L.

AU - Bradley Cenko, S.

AU - Kleiser, Io

AU - Bloom, Joshua S.

AU - Miller, Adam

AU - Li, Weidong

AU - Filippenko, Alexei V.

AU - Starr, Dan

AU - Poznanski, Dovi

AU - Law, Nicholas M.

AU - Helou, George

AU - Frail, Dale A.

AU - Neill, James D.

AU - Forster, Karl

AU - Christopher Martin, D.

AU - Tendulkar, Shriharsh P.

AU - Gehrels, Neil

AU - Kennea, Jamie

AU - Sullivan, Mark

AU - Bildsten, Lars

AU - Dekany, Richard

AU - Rahmer, Gustavo

AU - Hale, David

AU - Smith, Roger

AU - Zolkower, Jeff

AU - Velur, Viswa

AU - Walters, Richard

AU - Henning, John

AU - Bui, Kahnh

AU - McKenna, Dan

AU - Blake, Cullen

PY - 2011/4/1

Y1 - 2011/4/1

N2 - The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is systematically charting the optical transient and variable sky. A primary science driver of PTF is building a complete inventory of transients in the local universe (distance less than 200 Mpc). Here, we report the discovery of PTF10fqs, a transient in the luminosity "gap" between novae and supernovae. Located on a spiral arm of Messier 99, PTF10fqs has a peak luminosity of Mr = -12.3, red color (g - r = 1.0), and is slowly evolving (decayed by 1mag in 68days). It has a spectrum dominated by intermediate-width Hα (930kms-1) and narrow calcium emission lines. The explosion signature (the light curve and spectra) is overall similar to that of M85OT2006-1, SN2008S, and NGC300OT. The origin of these events is shrouded in mystery and controversy (and in some cases, in dust). PTF10fqs shows some evidence of a broad feature (around 8600) that may suggest very large velocities (10,000kms-1) in this explosion. Ongoing surveys can be expected to find a few such events per year. Sensitive spectroscopy, infrared monitoring, and statistics (e.g., disk versus bulge) will eventually make it possible for astronomers to unravel the nature of these mysterious explosions.

AB - The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is systematically charting the optical transient and variable sky. A primary science driver of PTF is building a complete inventory of transients in the local universe (distance less than 200 Mpc). Here, we report the discovery of PTF10fqs, a transient in the luminosity "gap" between novae and supernovae. Located on a spiral arm of Messier 99, PTF10fqs has a peak luminosity of Mr = -12.3, red color (g - r = 1.0), and is slowly evolving (decayed by 1mag in 68days). It has a spectrum dominated by intermediate-width Hα (930kms-1) and narrow calcium emission lines. The explosion signature (the light curve and spectra) is overall similar to that of M85OT2006-1, SN2008S, and NGC300OT. The origin of these events is shrouded in mystery and controversy (and in some cases, in dust). PTF10fqs shows some evidence of a broad feature (around 8600) that may suggest very large velocities (10,000kms-1) in this explosion. Ongoing surveys can be expected to find a few such events per year. Sensitive spectroscopy, infrared monitoring, and statistics (e.g., disk versus bulge) will eventually make it possible for astronomers to unravel the nature of these mysterious explosions.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/79953686826

UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79953686826&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1088/0004-637X/730/2/134

DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/730/2/134

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:79953686826

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 730

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

M1 - 134

ER -

PTF10fqs: A luminous red nova in the spiral galaxy messier 99

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