Real-Time Detection and Rapid Multiwavelength Follow-up Observations of a Highly Subluminous Type II-P Supernova from the Palomar Transient Factory Survey

Journal article

The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is an optical wide-field variability survey carried out using a camera with a 7.8 square degree field of view mounted on the 48-in Oschin Schmidt telescope at Palomar Observatory. One of the key goals of this survey is to conduct high-cadence monitoring of the sky in order to detect optical transient sources shortly after they occur. Here, we describe the real-time capabilities of the PTF and our related rapid multiwavelength follow-up programs, extending from the radio to the gamma-ray bands. We present as a case study observations of the optical transient PTF10vdl (SN 2010id), revealed to be a very young core-collapse (Type II-P) supernova having a remarkably low luminosity. Our results demonstrate that the PTF now provides for optical transients the real-time discovery and rapid-response follow-up capabilities previously reserved only for high-energy transients like gamma-ray bursts.

Authors: Gal-Yam, A; Kasliwal, M; Arcavi, I; Green, Y; Yaron, O

• Publication status: Published
• Publisher: Institute of Physics Publishing
• Journal: ApJ
• Volume: 736
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 159
• Publication date: 2011-06-02
• DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/736/2/159
• EISSN: 1538-4357
• ISSN: 0004-637X
• Language: English
• Keywords: astro-ph.CO