Spatially Resolved MaNGA Observations of the Host Galaxy of Superluminous Supernova 2017egm

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/AA8F40· OSTI ID:22872521

Ting-Wan, Chen; Schady, Patricia; Schweyer, Tassilo ^[1]; Xiao, Lin; Eldridge, J. J. ^[2]; Chien-Hsiu, Lee ^[3]; Po-Chieh, Yu ^[4]; Smartt, Stephen J. ^[5]; Inserra, Cosimo ^[6]

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1. Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstraße 1, D-85748, Garching (Germany)
2. Department of Physics, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland (New Zealand)
3. Subaru Telescope National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 650 N Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States)
4. Graduate Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, No. 300, Zhongda Road, Zhongli District, Taoyuan City 32001, Taiwan (China)
5. Astrophysics Research Centre, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom)
6. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom)

Superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) are found predominantly in dwarf galaxies, indicating that their progenitors have a low metallicity. However, the most nearby SLSN to date, SN 2017egm, occurred in the spiral galaxy NGC 3191, which has a relatively high stellar mass and correspondingly high metallicity. In this Letter, we present detailed analysis of the nearby environment of SN 2017egm using MaNGA IFU data, which provides spectral data on kiloparsec scales. From the velocity map we find no evidence that SN 2017egm occurred within some intervening satellite galaxy, and at the SN position most metallicity diagnostics yield a solar and above solar metallicity (12+log(O/H)∼8.8--9.1). Additionally, we measure a small Hα equivalent width (EW) at the SN position of just 34 Å, which is one of the lowest EWs measured at any SLSN or gamma-ray burst position, and indicative of the progenitor star being comparatively old. We also compare the observed properties of NGC 3191 with other SLSN host galaxies. The solar-metallicity environment at the position of SN 2017egm presents a challenge to our theoretical understanding, and our spatially resolved spectral analysis provides further constraints on the progenitors of SLSNe.

• OSTI ID: 22872521
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 849, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS
GALAXIES
LIMITING VALUES
LUMINOSITY
LYMAN LINES
MAPS
MASS
METALLICITY
SUPERNOVAE
VELOCITY