The mystery of photometric twins DES17X1boj and DES16E2bjy

DES Collaboration; C. Frohmaier; C. B. D'Andrea; E. Macaulay; E. Swann; B. P. Thomas; M. Vincenzi; S. Avila

doi:10.1093/mnras/staa995

The mystery of photometric twins DES17X1boj and DES16E2bjy

DES Collaboration, C. Frohmaier, C. B. D'Andrea, E. Macaulay, E. Swann, B. P. Thomas, M. Vincenzi, S. Avila

Institute of Cosmology & Gravitation

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Abstract

We present an analysis of DES17X1boj and DES16E2bjy, two peculiar transients discovered by the Dark Energy Survey (DES). They exhibit nearly identical double-peaked light curves that reach very different maximum luminosities (Mr = −15.4 and −17.9, respectively). The light-curve evolution of these events is highly atypical and has not been reported before. The transients are found in different host environments: DES17X1boj was found near the nucleus of a spiral galaxy, while DES16E2bjy is located in the outskirts of a passive red galaxy. Early photometric data are well fitted with a blackbody and the resulting moderate photospheric expansion velocities (1800 km s−1 for DES17X1boj and 4800 km s−1 for DES16E2bjy) suggest an explosive or eruptive origin. Additionally, a feature identified as high-velocity Ca II absorption (⁠v ≈ 9400 km s−1) in the near-peak spectrum of DES17X1boj may imply that it is a supernova. While similar light-curve evolution suggests a similar physical origin for these two transients, we are not able to identify or characterize the progenitors.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5576–5589
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	494
Issue number	4
Early online date	13 Apr 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa995
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2020

Keywords

astro-ph.HE
RCUK
STFC
ST/R000506/1

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10.1093/mnras/staa995

The mystery of photometric twins
This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ©: 2020 The Authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
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Data availability statement for 'The mystery of photometric twins DES17X1boj and DES16E2bjy'.
Frohmaier, C. (Creator), D'Andrea, C. (Creator), Macaulay, E. (Creator), Swann, E. (Creator) & Vincenzi, M. (Creator), Oxford University Press, 13 Apr 2020
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title = "The mystery of photometric twins DES17X1boj and DES16E2bjy",

abstract = "We present an analysis of DES17X1boj and DES16E2bjy, two peculiar transients discovered by the Dark Energy Survey (DES). They exhibit nearly identical double-peaked light curves that reach very different maximum luminosities (Mr = −15.4 and −17.9, respectively). The light-curve evolution of these events is highly atypical and has not been reported before. The transients are found in different host environments: DES17X1boj was found near the nucleus of a spiral galaxy, while DES16E2bjy is located in the outskirts of a passive red galaxy. Early photometric data are well fitted with a blackbody and the resulting moderate photospheric expansion velocities (1800 km s−1 for DES17X1boj and 4800 km s−1 for DES16E2bjy) suggest an explosive or eruptive origin. Additionally, a feature identified as high-velocity Ca II absorption (⁠v ≈ 9400 km s−1) in the near-peak spectrum of DES17X1boj may imply that it is a supernova. While similar light-curve evolution suggests a similar physical origin for these two transients, we are not able to identify or characterize the progenitors.",

keywords = "astro-ph.HE, RCUK, STFC, ST/R000506/1",

author = "{DES Collaboration} and M. Pursiainen and C. Gutierrez and P. Wiseman and M. Childress and C. Frohmaier and C. Angus and Segura, {N. Castro} and L. Kelsey and M. Sullivan and L. Galbany and P. Nugent and Bassett, {B. A.} and D. Brout and D. Carollo and D'Andrea, {C. B.} and Davis, {T. M.} and M. Grayling and Hinton, {S. R.} and C. Inserra and R. Kessler and C. Lidman and E. Macaulay and M. March and A. Mo{\"o}ller and T. M{\"u}ller and D. Scolnic and E. Swann and Thomas, {B. P.} and M. Vincenzi and Abbott, {T. M. C.} and S. Allam and J. Annis and S. Avila and E. Bertin and D. Brooks and E. Buckley-Geer and Burke, {D. L.} and Rosell, {A. Carnero} and Kind, {M. Carrasco} and Costa, {L. N. da} and Vicente, {J. De} and S. Desai and Diehl, {H. T.} and P. Doel and Eifler, {T. F.} and S. Everett and B. Flaugher and J. Frieman and J. Garc{\'i}a-Bellido and E. Gaztanaga",

note = "Submitted to MNRAS",

year = "2020",

month = jun,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1093/mnras/staa995",

language = "English",

volume = "494",

pages = "5576–5589",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "4",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - The mystery of photometric twins DES17X1boj and DES16E2bjy

AU - DES Collaboration

AU - Pursiainen, M.

AU - Gutierrez, C.

AU - Wiseman, P.

AU - Childress, M.

AU - Frohmaier, C.

AU - Angus, C.

AU - Segura, N. Castro

AU - Kelsey, L.

AU - Sullivan, M.

AU - Galbany, L.

AU - Nugent, P.

AU - Bassett, B. A.

AU - Brout, D.

AU - Carollo, D.

AU - D'Andrea, C. B.

AU - Davis, T. M.

AU - Grayling, M.

AU - Hinton, S. R.

AU - Inserra, C.

AU - Kessler, R.

AU - Lidman, C.

AU - Macaulay, E.

AU - March, M.

AU - Moöller, A.

AU - Müller, T.

AU - Scolnic, D.

AU - Swann, E.

AU - Thomas, B. P.

AU - Vincenzi, M.

AU - Abbott, T. M. C.

AU - Allam, S.

AU - Annis, J.

AU - Avila, S.

AU - Bertin, E.

AU - Brooks, D.

AU - Buckley-Geer, E.

AU - Burke, D. L.

AU - Rosell, A. Carnero

AU - Kind, M. Carrasco

AU - Costa, L. N. da

AU - Vicente, J. De

AU - Desai, S.

AU - Diehl, H. T.

AU - Doel, P.

AU - Eifler, T. F.

AU - Everett, S.

AU - Flaugher, B.

AU - Frieman, J.

AU - García-Bellido, J.

AU - Gaztanaga, E.

N1 - Submitted to MNRAS

PY - 2020/6/1

Y1 - 2020/6/1

N2 - We present an analysis of DES17X1boj and DES16E2bjy, two peculiar transients discovered by the Dark Energy Survey (DES). They exhibit nearly identical double-peaked light curves that reach very different maximum luminosities (Mr = −15.4 and −17.9, respectively). The light-curve evolution of these events is highly atypical and has not been reported before. The transients are found in different host environments: DES17X1boj was found near the nucleus of a spiral galaxy, while DES16E2bjy is located in the outskirts of a passive red galaxy. Early photometric data are well fitted with a blackbody and the resulting moderate photospheric expansion velocities (1800 km s−1 for DES17X1boj and 4800 km s−1 for DES16E2bjy) suggest an explosive or eruptive origin. Additionally, a feature identified as high-velocity Ca II absorption (⁠v ≈ 9400 km s−1) in the near-peak spectrum of DES17X1boj may imply that it is a supernova. While similar light-curve evolution suggests a similar physical origin for these two transients, we are not able to identify or characterize the progenitors.

AB - We present an analysis of DES17X1boj and DES16E2bjy, two peculiar transients discovered by the Dark Energy Survey (DES). They exhibit nearly identical double-peaked light curves that reach very different maximum luminosities (Mr = −15.4 and −17.9, respectively). The light-curve evolution of these events is highly atypical and has not been reported before. The transients are found in different host environments: DES17X1boj was found near the nucleus of a spiral galaxy, while DES16E2bjy is located in the outskirts of a passive red galaxy. Early photometric data are well fitted with a blackbody and the resulting moderate photospheric expansion velocities (1800 km s−1 for DES17X1boj and 4800 km s−1 for DES16E2bjy) suggest an explosive or eruptive origin. Additionally, a feature identified as high-velocity Ca II absorption (⁠v ≈ 9400 km s−1) in the near-peak spectrum of DES17X1boj may imply that it is a supernova. While similar light-curve evolution suggests a similar physical origin for these two transients, we are not able to identify or characterize the progenitors.

KW - astro-ph.HE

KW - RCUK

KW - STFC

KW - ST/R000506/1

U2 - 10.1093/mnras/staa995

DO - 10.1093/mnras/staa995

M3 - Article

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 494

SP - 5576

EP - 5589

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 4

ER -

The mystery of photometric twins DES17X1boj and DES16E2bjy

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Data availability statement for 'The mystery of photometric twins DES17X1boj and DES16E2bjy'.

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