Results from a Combined Shallow-Wide GALEX+PTF Transient Search
Abstract
I will describe a nine week concurrent survey of about 600 square degrees observed with both GALEX and the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) utilizing the Palomar 48 inch Schmidt Camera. This is a collaboration between Caltech and the WIS/TAU/Technion/Haifa (WTTH) consortium. The 9 week search ran from May 24 through July 28, 2012. This survey provides observations at both near UV and R band wavelengths over the same time period and with a similar cadence. The main science goals are to study the early UV emission form supernovae (SNe), AGN variability, and stellar flares. During the project, PTF detected 12 core-collapse SNe within the GALEX footprint, as well as several tens of SNe Ia. None of the SNe Ia were detected (Poznanski et al., in preparation). Of the core-collapse events, 10 events have secure types and redshifts, while 2 are low-signal-to-noise detections. Of the ten secure SNe, six have been well detected by GALEX. All the detections are of Type II SNe (3 SNe II-P, 1 IIn, 1 II-L and 1 likely IIb). Interestingly, only one of those events is located in a luminous host, while 4 events occurred in faint hosts that are only marginally detected in the shallow GALEX data, illustrating the benefits of our non-targeted wide-field strategy. The mean redshift of the SNe (both the full sample and the detected events only) is about z=0.07. Most events are detected during a small number of epochs (1-3) around their PTF discovery date, while the Type IIn event shows a prolonged period of UV luminosity extending beyond the duration of our program.
- Publication:
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American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #221
- Pub Date:
- January 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AAS...22121510B