The Astrophysical Journal Letters (Jan 2023)
A JWST Near- and Mid-infrared Nebular Spectrum of the Type Ia Supernova 2021aefx
- Lindsey A. Kwok,
- Saurabh W. Jha,
- Tea Temim,
- Ori D. Fox,
- Conor Larison,
- Yssavo Camacho-Neves,
- Max J. Brenner Newman,
- Justin D. R. Pierel,
- Ryan J. Foley,
- Jennifer E. Andrews,
- Carles Badenes,
- Barnabas Barna,
- K. Azalee Bostroem,
- Maxime Deckers,
- Andreas Flörs,
- Peter Garnavich,
- Melissa L. Graham,
- Or Graur,
- Griffin Hosseinzadeh,
- D. Andrew Howell,
- John P. Hughes,
- Joel Johansson,
- Sarah Kendrew,
- Wolfgang E. Kerzendorf,
- Keiichi Maeda,
- Kate Maguire,
- Curtis McCully,
- John T. O’Brien,
- Armin Rest,
- David J. Sand,
- Melissa Shahbandeh,
- Louis-Gregory Strolger,
- Tamás Szalai,
- Chris Ashall,
- E. Baron,
- Chris R. Burns,
- James M. DerKacy,
- Tyco Mera Evans,
- Alec Fisher,
- Lluís Galbany,
- Peter Hoeflich,
- Eric Hsiao,
- Thomas de Jaeger,
- Emir Karamehmetoglu,
- Kevin Krisciunas,
- Sahana Kumar,
- Jing Lu,
- Justyn Maund,
- Paolo A. Mazzali,
- Kyle Medler,
- Nidia Morrell,
- Mark. M. Phillips,
- Benjamin J. Shappee,
- Maximilian Stritzinger,
- Nicholas Suntzeff,
- Charles Telesco,
- Michael Tucker,
- Lifan Wang
Affiliations
- Lindsey A. Kwok
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey , 136 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8019, USA [email protected]
- Saurabh W. Jha
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey , 136 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8019, USA [email protected]
- Tea Temim
- ORCiD
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University , 4 Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540-7219, USA
- Ori D. Fox
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218-2410, USA
- Conor Larison
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey , 136 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8019, USA [email protected]
- Yssavo Camacho-Neves
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey , 136 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8019, USA [email protected]
- Max J. Brenner Newman
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey , 136 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8019, USA [email protected]
- Justin D. R. Pierel
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218-2410, USA
- Ryan J. Foley
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California , Santa Cruz, CA 95064-1077, USA
- Jennifer E. Andrews
- ORCiD
- Gemini Observatory/NSF’s NOIRLab , 670 North A‘ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720-2700, USA
- Carles Badenes
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Pittsburgh Particle Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology Center (PITT PACC), University of Pittsburgh , 3941 Oara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Institut de Cièies del Cosmos (ICCUB), Universitat de Barcelona (IEEC-UB) , Martíanqué 1, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Barnabas Barna
- ORCiD
- Department of Experimental Physics, Institute of Physics, University of Szeged , Dóm tér 9, Szeged, 6720 Hungary; Astronomical Institute , Academy of Sciences, Bočnì II 1401, Prague, Czech Republic
- K. Azalee Bostroem
- ORCiD
- Steward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USA
- Maxime Deckers
- ORCiD
- School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin , Dublin 2, Ireland
- Andreas Flörs
- ORCiD
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung , Planckstraße 1, D-64291 Darmstadt, Germany
- Peter Garnavich
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
- Melissa L. Graham
- ORCiD
- DiRAC Institute, Department of Astronomy, University of Washington , Box 351580, U.W., Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Or Graur
- ORCiD
- Institute of Cosmology & Gravitation, University of Portsmouth , Dennis Sciama Building, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3FX, UK; Department of Astrophysics, American Museum of Natural History , Central Park West and 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA
- Griffin Hosseinzadeh
- ORCiD
- Steward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USA
- D. Andrew Howell
- ORCiD
- Las Cumbres Observatory , 6740 Cortona Drive, Suite 102, Goleta, CA 93117-5575, USA; Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9530, USA
- John P. Hughes
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey , 136 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8019, USA [email protected]
- Joel Johansson
- ORCiD
- Oskar Klein Centre, Department of Physics, Stockholm University , Albanova University Center, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
- Sarah Kendrew
- ORCiD
- European Space Agency, Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Wolfgang E. Kerzendorf
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Department of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering, Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Keiichi Maeda
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, Kyoto University , Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502. Japan
- Kate Maguire
- ORCiD
- School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin , Dublin 2, Ireland
- Curtis McCully
- ORCiD
- Las Cumbres Observatory , 6740 Cortona Drive, Suite 102, Goleta, CA 93117-5575, USA; Department of Physics, University of California , Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9530, USA
- John T. O’Brien
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Armin Rest
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218-2410, USA; Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University , 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- David J. Sand
- ORCiD
- Steward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USA
- Melissa Shahbandeh
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218-2410, USA
- Louis-Gregory Strolger
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218-2410, USA
- Tamás Szalai
- ORCiD
- Department of Experimental Physics, Institute of Physics, University of Szeged , Dóm tér 9, Szeged, 6720 Hungary; ELKH-SZTE Stellar Astrophysics Research Group , H-6500 Baja, Szegedi út, Kt. 766, Hungary; Konkoly Observatory, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences , Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 15-17, 1121 Budapest, Hungary
- Chris Ashall
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Virginia Tech , Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- E. Baron
- ORCiD
- Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma , 440 W. Brooks, Rm 100, Norman, OK 73019-2061, USA; Hamburger Sternwarte , Gojenbergsweg 112, D-21029 Hamburg, Germany
- Chris R. Burns
- ORCiD
- Observatories of the Carnegie Institute for Science , 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101-1232, USA
- James M. DerKacy
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Virginia Tech , Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Tyco Mera Evans
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Florida State University , 77 Chieftan Way, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4350, USA
- Alec Fisher
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Florida State University , 77 Chieftan Way, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4350, USA
- Lluís Galbany
- ORCiD
- Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC) , Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans, s/n, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya , Gran Capità, 2-4, Edifici Nexus, Desp. 201, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Peter Hoeflich
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Florida State University , 77 Chieftan Way, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4350, USA
- Eric Hsiao
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Florida State University , 77 Chieftan Way, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4350, USA
- Thomas de Jaeger
- ORCiD
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai‘i , 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822-1839, USA
- Emir Karamehmetoglu
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University , Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Kevin Krisciunas
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University , 4242 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA; George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics & Astronomy , College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Sahana Kumar
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Florida State University , 77 Chieftan Way, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4350, USA
- Jing Lu
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Florida State University , 77 Chieftan Way, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4350, USA
- Justyn Maund
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield , Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK
- Paolo A. Mazzali
- ORCiD
- Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University , Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK; Max-Planck Institute for Astrophysics , Garching, Germany
- Kyle Medler
- ORCiD
- Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University , Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK
- Nidia Morrell
- ORCiD
- Carnegie Observatories, Las Campanas Observatory , Casilla 601, La Serena, Chile
- Mark. M. Phillips
- ORCiD
- Carnegie Observatories, Las Campanas Observatory , Casilla 601, La Serena, Chile
- Benjamin J. Shappee
- ORCiD
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai‘i , 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822-1839, USA
- Maximilian Stritzinger
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University , Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Nicholas Suntzeff
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University , 4242 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA; George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics & Astronomy , College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Charles Telesco
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
- Michael Tucker
- ORCiD
- Center for Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, The Ohio State University , 191 West Woodruff Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
- Lifan Wang
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University , 4242 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA; George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics & Astronomy , College Station, TX 77843, USA
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/acb4ec
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 944,
no. 1
p. L3
Abstract
We present JWST near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopic observations of the nearby normal Type Ia supernova (SN) SN 2021aefx in the nebular phase at +255 days past maximum light. Our Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and Mid Infrared Instrument observations, combined with ground-based optical data from the South African Large Telescope, constitute the first complete optical+NIR+MIR nebular SN Ia spectrum covering 0.3–14 μ m. This spectrum unveils the previously unobserved 2.5−5 μ m region, revealing strong nebular iron and stable nickel emission, indicative of high-density burning that can constrain the progenitor mass. The data show a significant improvement in sensitivity and resolution compared to previous Spitzer MIR data. We identify numerous NIR and MIR nebular emission lines from iron-group elements as well as lines from the intermediate-mass element argon. The argon lines extend to higher velocities than the iron-group elements, suggesting stratified ejecta that are a hallmark of delayed-detonation or double-detonation SN Ia models. We present fits to simple geometric line profiles to features beyond 1.2 μ m and find that most lines are consistent with Gaussian or spherical emission distributions, while the [Ar iii ] 8.99 μ m line has a distinctively flat-topped profile indicating a thick spherical shell of emission. Using our line profile fits, we investigate the emissivity structure of SN 2021aefx and measure kinematic properties. Continued observations of SN 2021aefx and other SNe Ia with JWST will be transformative to the study of SN Ia composition, ionization structure, density, and temperature, and will provide important constraints on SN Ia progenitor and explosion models.
Keywords
