The Search for Failed Supernovae with the Large Binocular Telescope: The Mid-infrared Counterpart to N6946-BH1

Abstract

We present JWST MIRI 5.6, 10, and 21 μ m observations of the candidate failed supernova N6946-BH1 along with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFPC/IR 1.1 and 1.6 μ m data and ongoing optical monitoring data with the Large Binocular Telescope. There is a very red, dusty source at the location of the candidate, which has only ∼10%–15% of the luminosity of the progenitor star. The source is very faint in the HST near-IR observations (∼10 ^3 L _⊙ ) and is not optically variable to a limit of ∼10 ^3 L _⊙ at the R band. The dust is likely silicate and probably has to be dominated by very large grains, as predicted for dust formed in a failed supernova. The required visual optical depths are modest, so it should begin to significantly brighten in the near-IR over the next few years.

Keywords

• Black hole physics
• Massive stars