Folatelli, Gastón and Bersten, Melina C. and Benvenuto, Omar G. and Van Dyk, Schuyler D. and Kuncarayakti, Hanindyo and Maeda, Keiichi and Nozawa, Takaya and Nomoto, Ken'ichi and Hamuy, Mario and Quimby, Robert M. (2014) A Blue Point Source at the Location of Supernova 2011dh. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 793 (2). Art. No. L22. ISSN 2041-8205. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/793/2/L22. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20141013-094631349
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Abstract
We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of the field of the Type IIb supernova (SN) 2011dh in M51 performed at ≈1161 rest-frame days after explosion using the Wide Field Camera 3 and near-UV filters F225W and F336W. A star-like object is detected in both bands and the photometry indicates it has negative (F225W – F336W) color. The observed object is compatible with the companion of the now-vanished yellow supergiant progenitor predicted in interacting binary models. We consider it unlikely that the SN is undergoing strong interaction and thus estimate that it makes a small contribution to the observed flux. The possibilities of having detected an unresolved light echo or an unrelated object are briefly discussed and judged unlikely. Adopting a possible range of extinction by dust, we constrain parameters of the proposed binary system. In particular, the efficiency of mass accretion onto the binary companion must be below 50%, if no significant extinction is produced by newly formed dust. Further multiband observations are required in order to confirm the identification of the object as the companion star. If confirmed, the companion star would already be dominant in the UV-optical regime, so it would readily provide a unique opportunity to perform a detailed study of its properties.
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Additional Information: | © 2014 American Astronomical Society. Received 2014 August 15; accepted 2014 August 28; published 2014 September 10. We thank Armin Rest for his light-echo calculations and discussion. This research is supported by the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI Initiative), MEXT, Japan, and by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (23224004, 23540262, 23740141, 23740175, 26400222, 26400223, 26800100). M.H. and H.K. acknowledge support from the Millennium Institute of Astrophysics (MAS; Programa Iniciativa Científica Milenio del Ministerio de Economía, Fomento y Turismo de Chile, grant IC120009). H.K. is supported by FONDECYT (grant 3140563). O.G.B. is member of the Carrera del Investigador Científico of CIC, Argentina. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Group: | Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC) | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Subject Keywords: | binaries: close; supernovae: general; supernovae: individual (SN 2011dh) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Issue or Number: | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
DOI: | 10.1088/2041-8205/793/2/L22 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Record Number: | CaltechAUTHORS:20141013-094631349 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Persistent URL: | https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20141013-094631349 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Official Citation: | A Blue Point Source at the Location of Supernova 2011dh Gastón Folatelli et al. 2014 ApJ 793 L22 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Usage Policy: | No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided. | ||||||||||||||||||||
ID Code: | 50348 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Collection: | CaltechAUTHORS | ||||||||||||||||||||
Deposited By: | Ruth Sustaita | ||||||||||||||||||||
Deposited On: | 13 Oct 2014 23:27 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Last Modified: | 10 Nov 2021 18:54 |
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