An Intermediate Luminosity Transient in NGC 300: The Eruption of a Dust-Enshrouded Massive Star

Berger, E.; Söderberg, A. M.; Chevalier, Roger A.; Fransson, Claes; Foley, R. J.; Leonard, Douglas C.; Debes, John H.; Diamond‐Stanic, Aleksandar M.; Dupree, A. K.; Ivans, Inese I.; Simmerer, Jennifer; Thompson, I. B.; Tremonti, Christy

doi:10.1088/0004-637x/699/2/1850

Cited by 140 publications

(271 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…A simple prediction of this possibility is that the progenitors of SN 2008S and NGC 300 should eventually be rediscovered in the optical and/ or infrared after the outburst emission has faded. For further arguments on the nature of SN 2008S and NGC 300 related to this discussion, see Bond et al (2008), Smith et al (2009), andBerger et al (2009).…”

Section: Massive Star Outburst: M ≈ 10-15 Mmentioning

confidence: 95%

A New Class of Luminous Transients and a First Census of Their Massive Stellar Progenitors

Thompson

Prieto

Stanek

et al. 2009

ApJ

205

404

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The progenitors of SN 2008S and the 2008 luminous transient in NGC 300 were deeply dust-enshrouded massive stars, with extremely red mid-infrared (MIR) colors and relatively low bolometric luminosities (≈5 × 10 4 L ). The transients were optically faint compared to normal core-collapse supernovae (ccSNe), with peak absolute visual magnitudes of −13 M V −15, and their spectra exhibit narrow Balmer and [Ca ii] emission lines. These events are unique among transient-progenitor pairs and hence constitute a new class. Additional members of this class may include the M85 transient, SN 1999bw, 2002bu, and others. Whether they are true supernovae or bright massive-star eruptions, we argue that their rate is of order ∼20% of the ccSN rate in star-forming galaxies. This fact is remarkable in light of the observation that a very small fraction of all massive stars in any one galaxy, at any moment, have the infrared colors of the progenitors of SN 2008S and the NGC 300 transient. We show this by extracting MIR and optical luminosity, color, and variability properties of massive stars in M33 using archival imaging. We find that the fraction of massive stars with colors consistent with the progenitors of SN 2008S and the NGC 300 transient is 10 −4 . In fact, only 10 similar objects exist in M33 (and perhaps 1)-all of which lie at the luminous red extremum of the asymptotic giant branch sequence. That these transients are simultaneously relatively common with respect to supernovae, while their progenitors are remarkably rare compared to the massive star population, implies that the dust-enshrouded phase is a short-lived phenomenon in the lives of many massive stars. This shrouded epoch can occur only in the last 10 4 yr before explosion, be it death or merely eruption. We discuss the implications of this finding for the evolution and census of "low-mass" massive stars (i.e., ∼8-12 M ), and we connect it with theoretical discussions of electron-capture supernovae (ecSNe) near this mass range. Other potential mechanisms, including the explosive birth of massive white dwarfs and massive star outbursts, are also discussed. A systematic census with (warm) Spitzer of galaxies in the local universe (D 10 Mpc) for analogous progenitors would significantly improve our knowledge of this channel to massive stellar explosions, and potentially to others with obscured progenitors.

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Section: Massive Star Outburst: M ≈ 10-15 Mmentioning

confidence: 95%

A New Class of Luminous Transients and a First Census of Their Massive Stellar Progenitors

Thompson

Prieto

Stanek

et al. 2009

ApJ

205

404

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Apart form V838 Mon, in our Galaxy the class also includes V4332 Sgr, whose outburst was observed in 1994 (Martini et al 1999), and V1309 Sco, which erupted in 2008 (Mason et al 2010). As extragalactic eruptions of this kind one can mention M 31 RV (eruption in 1989, Mould et al 1990), M 85 OT2006 (Kulkarni et al 2007), and NGC300 OT2008 (Berger et al 2009). Several interpretations of the eruptions were proposed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

V1309 Scorpii: merger of a contact binary

Tylenda

Hajduk

Kamiński

et al. 2011

A&A

440

611

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Context. Stellar mergers are expected to take place in numerous circumstences in the evolution of stellar systems. In particular, they are considered as a plausible origin of stellar eruptions of the V838 Mon type. V1309 Sco is the most recent eruption of this type in our Galaxy. The object was discovered in September 2008. Aims. Our aim is to investigate the nature of V1309 Sco. Methods. V1309 Sco has been photometrically observed in course of the OGLE project since August 2001. We analyse these observations in different ways. In particular, periodogram analyses were done to investigate the nature of the observed short-term variability of the progenitor. Results. We find that the progenitor of V1309 Sco was a contact binary with an orbital period of ∼1.4 day. This period was decreasing with time. The light curve of the binary was also evolving, indicating that the system evolved towards its merger. The violent phase of the merger, marked by the systematic brightenning of the object, began in March 2008, i.e. half a year before the outburst discovery. We also investigate the observations of V1309 Sco during the outburst and the decline and show that they can be fully accounted for within the merger hypothesis. Conclusions. For the first time in the literature we show from direct observations that contact binaries indeed end up by merging into a single object, as was suggested in numerous theoretical studies of these systems. Our study also shows that stellar mergers indeed result in eruptions of the V838 Mon type.

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“…The large radius and cool temperature of this fit imply that the progenitor is surrounded by dust. The progenitor SED is shown in Figure 3 along with several red supergiants (RSGs) and the progenitor of a previous ILOT in NGC 300 (NGC 300 OT2008-1; Berger et al 2009). Also shown is the SED of an obscured HMXB (IGR J16207-5129; Tomsick et al 2006).…”

Section: The Multiwavelength Properties Of Snmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Intermediate Luminosity Optical Transient Sn 2010da: The Progenitor, Eruption, and Aftermath of a Peculiar Supergiant High-Mass X-Ray Binary

Villar

Berger

Chornock

et al. 2016

ApJ

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We present optical spectroscopy, ultraviolet-to-infrared imaging,and X-ray observations of the intermediate luminosity optical transient (ILOT) SN 2010da in NGC 300 (d = 1.86 Mpc) spanning from −6 to +6 years relative to the time of outburst in 2010. Based on the light-curve and multi-epoch spectral energy distributions of SN 2010da, we conclude that the progenitor of SN 2010da is a ≈10-12 M e yellow supergiant possibly transitioning into a blue-loop phase. During outburst, SN 2010da had a peak absolute magnitude of M bol −10.4 mag, dimmer than other ILOTs and supernova impostors. We detect multi-component hydrogen Balmer, Paschen, and Ca II emission lines in our high-resolution spectra, which indicate a dusty and complex circumstellar environment. Since the 2010 eruption, the star has brightened by a factor of ≈5 and remains highly variable in the optical. Furthermore, we detect SN 2010da in archival Swift and Chandra observations as an ultraluminous X-ray source (L X ≈ 6 × 10 39 erg s −1). We additionally attribute He II 4686 Å and coronal Fe emission lines in addition to a steady X-ray luminosity of ≈10 37 erg s −1 to the presence of a compact companion.

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An Intermediate Luminosity Transient in NGC 300: The Eruption of a Dust-Enshrouded Massive Star

Cited by 140 publications

References 31 publications

A New Class of Luminous Transients and a First Census of Their Massive Stellar Progenitors

A New Class of Luminous Transients and a First Census of Their Massive Stellar Progenitors

V1309 Scorpii: merger of a contact binary

The Intermediate Luminosity Optical Transient Sn 2010da: The Progenitor, Eruption, and Aftermath of a Peculiar Supergiant High-Mass X-Ray Binary

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