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The host galaxies of 106 rapidly evolving transients discovered by the Dark Energy Survey

Publication ,  Journal Article
Wiseman, P; Pursiainen, M; Childress, M; Swann, E; Smith, M; Galbany, L; Lidman, C; Davis, TM; Gutiérrez, CP; Möller, A; Thomas, BP; Foley, RJ ...
Published in: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
January 1, 2020

Rapidly evolving transients (RETs), also termed fast blue optical transients, are a recently discovered group of astrophysical events that display rapid luminosity evolution. RETs typically rise to peak in less than 10 d and fade within 30, a time-scale unlikely to be compatible with the decay of Nickel-56 that drives conventional supernovae (SNe). Their peak luminosity spans a range of −15 < Mg < −22.5, with some events observed at redshifts greater than 1. Their evolution on fast time-scales has hindered high-quality follow-up observations, and thus their origin and explosion/emission mechanism remains unexplained. In this paper, we present the largest sample of RETs to date, comprising 106 objects discovered by the Dark Energy Survey, and perform the most comprehensive analysis of RET host galaxies. Using deep-stacked photometry and emission lines from OzDES spectroscopy, we derive stellar masses and star formation rates (SFRs) for 49 host galaxies, and metallicities ([O/H]) for 37. We find that RETs explode exclusively in star-forming galaxies and are thus likely associated with massive stars. Comparing RET hosts to samples of host galaxies of other explosive transients as well as field galaxies, we find that RETs prefer galaxies with high specific SFRs (〈log (sSFR)〉 ∼ −9.6), indicating a link to young stellar populations, similar to stripped-envelope SNe. RET hosts appear to show a lack of chemical enrichment, their metallicities akin to long-duration gamma-ray bursts and superluminous SN host galaxies (〈12 + log (O/H)〉 ∼ 9.4). There are no clear relationships between mass or SFR of the host galaxies and the peak magnitudes or decline rates of the transients themselves.

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Published In

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

DOI

EISSN

1365-2966

ISSN

0035-8711

Publication Date

January 1, 2020

Volume

498

Issue

2

Start / End Page

2575 / 2593

Related Subject Headings

  • Astronomy & Astrophysics
  • 5109 Space sciences
  • 5107 Particle and high energy physics
  • 5101 Astronomical sciences
  • 0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences
 

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Wiseman, P., Pursiainen, M., Childress, M., Swann, E., Smith, M., Galbany, L., … Walker, A. R. (2020). The host galaxies of 106 rapidly evolving transients discovered by the Dark Energy Survey. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 498(2), 2575–2593. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2474
Wiseman, P., M. Pursiainen, M. Childress, E. Swann, M. Smith, L. Galbany, C. Lidman, et al. “The host galaxies of 106 rapidly evolving transients discovered by the Dark Energy Survey.” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 498, no. 2 (January 1, 2020): 2575–93. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2474.
Wiseman P, Pursiainen M, Childress M, Swann E, Smith M, Galbany L, et al. The host galaxies of 106 rapidly evolving transients discovered by the Dark Energy Survey. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 2020 Jan 1;498(2):2575–93.
Wiseman, P., et al. “The host galaxies of 106 rapidly evolving transients discovered by the Dark Energy Survey.” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 498, no. 2, Jan. 2020, pp. 2575–93. Scopus, doi:10.1093/mnras/staa2474.
Wiseman P, Pursiainen M, Childress M, Swann E, Smith M, Galbany L, Lidman C, Davis TM, Gutiérrez CP, Möller A, Thomas BP, Frohmaier C, Foley RJ, Hinton SR, Kelsey L, Kessler R, Lewis GF, Sako M, Scolnic D, Sullivan M, Vincenzi M, Abbott TMC, Aguena M, Allam S, Annis J, Bertin E, Bhargava S, Brooks D, Burke DL, Carnero Rosell A, Carollo D, Carrasco Kind M, Carretero J, Costanzi M, da Costa LN, Diehl HT, Doel P, Everett S, Fosalba P, Frieman J, García-Bellido J, Gaztanaga E, Glazebrook K, Gruen D, Gruendl RA, Gschwend J, Gutierrez G, Hollowood DL, Honscheid K, James DJ, Kuehn K, Kuropatkin N, Lima M, Maia MAG, Marshall JL, Martini P, Menanteau F, Miquel R, Palmese A, Paz-Chinchón F, Plazas AA, Romer AK, Sanchez E, Scarpine V, Schubnell M, Serrano S, Sevilla-Noarbe I, Sommer NE, Suchyta E, Swanson MEC, Tarle G, Tucker BE, Tucker DL, Varga TN, Walker AR. The host galaxies of 106 rapidly evolving transients discovered by the Dark Energy Survey. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 2020 Jan 1;498(2):2575–2593.
Journal cover image

Published In

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

DOI

EISSN

1365-2966

ISSN

0035-8711

Publication Date

January 1, 2020

Volume

498

Issue

2

Start / End Page

2575 / 2593

Related Subject Headings

  • Astronomy & Astrophysics
  • 5109 Space sciences
  • 5107 Particle and high energy physics
  • 5101 Astronomical sciences
  • 0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences