Discovery of an Unusual Optical Transient with the Hubble Space Telescope

• We present observations of SCP 06F6, an unusual optical transient discovered during the Hubble Space Telescope Cluster Supernova Survey. The transient brightened over a period of ~100 days, reached a peak magnitude of ~ 21.0 in both i 775 and z 850, and then declined over a similar timescale. There is no host galaxy or progenitor star detected at the location of the transient to a 3σ upper limit of i 775 >= 26.4 and z 850 >= 26.1, giving a corresponding lower limit on the flux increase of a factor of ~ 120. Multiple spectra show five broad absorption bands between 4100 Å and 6500 Å, and a mostly featureless continuum longward of 6500 Å. The shape of the light curve is inconsistent with microlensing. The transient's spectrum, in addition to being inconsistent with all known supernova types, does not match any spectrum in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey database. We suggest that the transient may be one of a new class. Based in part on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the data archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc. under the NASA contract NAS 5-26555. The observations are associated with program GO-10496. Based in part on observations obtained at the European Southern Observatory under ESO program 077.A-0110. Based in part on observations collected at Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and NASA.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

stars: variables: other

Astronomy and astrophysics

Astronomi och astrofysik

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)