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arXiv · 2610.39240

A universal relation predicts the observed reversal of a supernova chirp

Joseph R. Farah·Logan J. Prust·Hang Yu
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Abstract

Superluminous supernovae, among the brightest stellar explosions, are thought to be powered by newborn magnetars. One such event, SN 2024afav, ``chirped'', displaying sinusoidal, increasing-frequency ($P(99\textrm{ d})\sim39\pm8$ d to $P(166\textrm{ d})\sim17\pm5$ d) light-curve modulations. The model explaining this chirp, a precessing disk falling onto the dimming magnetar, generalizes to a normalization-independent universal relation between the period derivative and the dimming rate of the light curve. Applied to the published chirp alone, with the spin-down time measured from the unmodulated light curve, the relation predicts that the chirp must halt near $t \approx 150$ d and reverse. With continued follow-up of SN 2024afav, we report the discovery of five new modulations in which the chirp reverses ($P(177\textrm{ d})\sim24\pm4$ d to $P(208\textrm{ d})\sim38\pm2$ d) at $t=147\pm3$ d, as predicted. Applied to chirping events from upcoming surveys, the relation could identify the precession mechanism and disk physics of each engine.

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Joseph R. Farah, Logan J. Prust, Hang Yu. 2026-10-29. A universal relation predicts the observed reversal of a supernova chirp. https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.39240

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