iPTF13beo: the double-peaked light curve of a Type Ibn supernova discovered shortly after explosion

• Published in: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 2014-09, Vol.443 (1), p.671-677
• Main Authors: Gorbikov, Evgeny, Gal-Yam, Avishay, Ofek, Eran O., Vreeswijk, Paul M., Nugent, Peter E., Chotard, Nicolas, Kulkarni, Shrinivas R., Cao, Yi, De Cia, Annalisa, Yaron, Ofer, Tal, David, Arcavi, Iair, Kasliwal, Mansi M., Cenko, S. Bradley, Sullivan, Mark, Chen, Juncheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Astronomy; Astrophysics; High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena; Physics; Sciences of the Universe; Solar and Stellar Astrophysics; Supernovae; Wind
• ISSN: 0035-8711; 1365-2966
• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stu1184

We present optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of the Type Ibn (SN 2006jc-like) supernova (SN) iPTF13beo. Detected by the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory ∼3 h after the estimated first light, iPTF13beo is the youngest and the most distant (∼430 Mpc) Type Ibn event ever observed. The iPTF13beo light curve is consistent with light curves of other Type Ibn SNe and with light curves of fast Type Ic events, but with a slightly faster rise-time of two days. In addition, the iPTF13beo R-band light curve exhibits a double-peak structure separated by ∼9 d, not observed before in any Type Ibn SN. A low-resolution spectrum taken during the iPTF13beo rising stage is featureless, while a late-time spectrum obtained during the declining stage exhibits narrow and intermediate-width He i and Si ii features with full width at half-maximum ≈2000–5000 km s−1 and is remarkably similar to the prototypical SN Ibn 2006jc spectrum. We suggest that our observations support a model of a massive star exploding in a dense He-rich circumstellar medium (CSM). A shock breakout in a CSM model requires an eruption releasing a total mass of ∼0.1 M⊙ over a time-scale of couple of weeks prior to the SN explosion.