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Title: PTF11kx: A Type Ia Supernova with Hydrogen Emission Persisting after 3.5 Years

Journal Article · · The Astrophysical Journal (Online)
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [2];  [4]; ORCiD logo [5]; ORCiD logo [4]
  1. Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
  2. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  3. Space Telescope Science Inst., Baltimore, MD (United States)
  4. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
  5. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

The optical transient PTF11kx exhibited both the characteristic spectral features of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and the signature of ejecta interacting with circumstellar material (CSM) containing hydrogen, indicating the presence of a nondegenerate companion. In this paper, we present an optical spectrum at 1342 days after peak from Keck Observatory, in which the broad component of Hα emission persists with a similar profile as in early-time observations. We also present Spitzer IRAC detections obtained 1237 and 1818 days after peak, and an upper limit from Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet imaging at 2133 days. We interpret our late-time observations in the context of published results—and reinterpret the early-time observations—in order to constrain the CSM's physical parameters and to compare to theoretical predictions for recurrent-nova systems. We find that the CSM's radial extent may be several times the distance between the star and the CSM's inner edge, and that the CSM column density may be two orders of magnitude lower than previous estimates. We show that the Hα luminosity decline is similar to other SNe with CSM interaction and demonstrate how our infrared photometry is evidence for newly formed, collisionally heated dust. We create a model for PTF11kx's late-time CSM interaction and find that X-ray reprocessing by photoionization and recombination cannot reproduce the observed Hα luminosity, suggesting that the X-rays are thermalized and that Hα radiates from collisional excitation. In conclusion, we discuss the implications of our results regarding the progenitor scenario and the geometric properties of the CSM for the PTF11kx system.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; NAS5-26555; AST-1211916; AST-1302771
OSTI ID:
1379907
Journal Information:
The Astrophysical Journal (Online), Vol. 843, Issue 2; ISSN 1538-4357
Publisher:
Institute of Physics (IOP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 15 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (8)

Don’t Blink: Constraining the Circumstellar Environment of the Interacting Type Ia Supernova 2015cp journal November 2018
Delayed Circumstellar Interaction for Type Ia SN 2015cp Revealed by an HST Ultraviolet Imaging Survey journal January 2019
Supernova PTF 12glz: A Possible Shock Breakout Driven through an Aspherical Wind journal February 2019
Interaction of SN Ib 2004dk with a Previously Expelled Envelope journal September 2019
A Comprehensive Analysis of Spitzer Supernovae journal April 2019
A Comprehensive Analysis of Spitzer Supernovae text January 2018
Don't Blink: Constraining the Circumstellar Environment of the Interacting Type Ia Supernova 2015cp text January 2018
Interaction of SN~Ib 2004dk with a Previously-Expelled Envelope text January 2019

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79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
supernovae
PTF11kx