Maund, J.R., Steele, I., Jermak, H. et al. (2 more authors) (2019) RINGO3 polarimetry of the Type I superluminous SN 2017egm. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 482 (3). pp. 4057-4061. ISSN 0035-8711
Abstract
The origin of the luminosity of superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) is an unresolved mystery, and a number of very different physical scenarios (including energy injection from magnetars, collision with a dense circumstellar medium, and pair instability-induced explosions) have been invoked. The application of polarimetry to normal SNe has been shown to probe the three-dimensional structure of exploding stars, providing clues to the nature of the explosion mechanism. We report imaging linear polarimetry observations of the Type I SLSN 2017egm, in the galaxy NGC 3191, conducted with the Liverpool Telescope and the RINGO3 instrument. Observations were acquired at four epochs, spanning 4–19 d after light curve maximum, however, polarization was not detected at a level of >3σ. At +7 and + 15 d, and in the average over all epochs, we find a possible polarization signal, detected at a significance of ≈2σ in the ‘blue’ channel. This signal is seen, primarily, in the Stokes q parameter, with a corresponding polarization angle consistent with the orientation of the spiral arm in proximity to the position of SN 2017egm. We interpret this as indicating that any polarization, if present, originates from dust in the host galaxy rather than being intrinsic to the SN itself. Despite its apparent peculiarities, compared to other Type I SLSNe, the polarization characteristics of SN 2017egm are consistent with the previously reported low polarization of other SLSNe of this variety.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2018 The Author(s). Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Physics and Astronomy (Sheffield) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number ROYAL SOCIETY UF150689 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 11 Feb 2019 16:06 |
Last Modified: | 11 Feb 2019 16:06 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/sty2963 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Oxford University Press |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1093/mnras/sty2963 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:141983 |