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arXiv · 1005.1455

PTF10fqs: A Luminous Red Nova in the Spiral Galaxy Messier 99

Mansi M. Kasliwal·S. R. Kulkarni·Iair Arcavi·Robert M. Quimby·Eran O. Ofek·Peter Nugent·Janet Jacobsen·Avishay Gal-Yam·Yoav Green·Ofer Yaron·Jacob L. Howell·Derek B. Fox·S. Bradley Cenko·Io Kleiser·Joshua S. Bloom·Adam Miller·Dovi Poznanski·Weidong Li·Alexei V. Filippenko·Dan Starr·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·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, PTF 10fqs has a peak luminosity of Mr = -12.3, red color (g-r = 1.0) and is slowly evolving (decayed by 1 mag in 68 days). It has a spectrum dominated by intermediate-width H (930 km/s) and narrow calcium emission lines. The explosion signature (the light curve and spectra) is overall similar to thatof 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 8600A) that may suggest very large velocities (10,000 km/s) 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.

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Mansi M. Kasliwal, S. R. Kulkarni, Iair Arcavi, Robert M. Quimby, Eran O. Ofek, Peter Nugent, Janet Jacobsen, Avishay Gal-Yam, Yoav Green, Ofer Yaron, Jacob L. Howell, Derek B. Fox, S. Bradley Cenko, Io Kleiser, Joshua S. Bloom, Adam Miller, Dovi Poznanski, Weidong Li, Alexei V. Filippenko, Dan Starr, 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, Richard Dekany, Gustavo Rahmer, David Hale, Roger Smith, Jeff Zolkower, Viswa Velur, Richard Walters, John Henning, Kahnh Bui, Dan McKenna, Cullen Blake. 2010-05-10. PTF10fqs: A Luminous Red Nova in the Spiral Galaxy Messier 99. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/730/2/134

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