Title

Discovery of an Unusual Optical Transient with the Hubble Space Telescope

Authors

K Barbary
KS Dawson
K Tokita
G Aldering
R Amanullah
NV Connolly
M Doi
L Faccioli
V Fadeyev
AS Fruchter
G Goldhaber
A Goobar
A Gude
Xiaosheng Xiaosheng Huang, University of San FranciscoFollow
Y Ihara
K Konishi
M Kowalski
C Lidman
J Meyers
T Morokuma
P Nugent
S Perlmutter
D Rubin
D Schlegel
AL Spadafora
N Suzuki
HK Swift
N Takanashi
RC Thomas
N Yasuda
Supernova Cosmology Project

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2009

Abstract

We present observations of SCP 06F6, an unusual optical transient discovered during the Hubble Space Telescope Cluster Supernova Survey. The transient brightened over a period of ~;;100 days, reached a peak magnitude of ~;;21.0 in both i_775 and z_850, and then declined over a similar timescale. There is no host galaxy or progenitor star detected at the location of the transient to a 3 sigma upper limit of i_775 = 26.4 and z_850 = 26.1, giving a corresponding lower limit on the flux increase of a factor of ~;;120. Multiple spectra show five broad absorption bands between 4100 AA and 6500 AA and a mostly featureless continuum longward of 6500 AA. The shape of the lightcurve is inconsistent with microlensing. The transient's spectrum, in addition to being inconsistent with all known supernova types, is not matched to any spectrum in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) database. We suggest that the transient may be one of a new class.

Comments

Copyright 2009 American Astronomical Society.

Published article available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/690/2/1358

DOI

10.1088/0004-637X/690/2/1358

Recommended Citation

K. Barbary, et al. Supernova Cosmology Project. Discovery of an Unusual Optical Transient with the Hubble Space Telescope. 2009 Astrophysical Journal. 690 1358 doi:10.1088/0004-637X/690/2/1358