Discovery of a Relativistic Stripped-envelope Type Ic-BL Supernova at z = 2.83 with JWST

Abstract

We present James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRCam and NIRSpec observations of a Type Ic supernova (SN Ic) and its host galaxy (JADES-GS+53.13533-27.81457) at z = 2.83. This SN (named SN 2023adta) was identified in deep JWST/NIRCam imaging from the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) program. Follow-up observations with JWST/NIRSpec provided a spectroscopic redshift of z = 2.83 and the classification as an SN Ic-BL. The light curve of SN 2023adta matches well with other stripped-envelope SNe, and we find a high peak luminosity, M V = −19.0 ± 0.2 mag, based on the distribution of best-fit SNe. The broad absorption features in its spectrum are consistent with other SNe Ic-BL 1–3 weeks after peak brightness. We measure a Ca ii near-IR triplet expansion velocity of 29,000 ± 2000 km s−1. The host galaxy of SN 2023adta is irregular, and modeling of its spectral energy distribution indicates a metallicity of Z = 0.35 − 0.08 + 0.16 Z ⊙ . This environment is consistent with the population of low-z SNe Ic-BL that prefer lower metallicities relative to other stripped-envelope SNe and track long-duration γ-ray burst environments. We do not identify any γ-ray bursts that are coincident with SN 2023adta. Given the rarity of SNe Ic-BL in the local Universe, the detection of an SN Ic-BL at z = 2.83 could indicate that their rates are enhanced at high redshift.