Luminous Radio Emission from the Superluminous Supernova 2017ens at 3.3 yr after Explosion
R. Margutti, Joe Bright, David Matthews, D. L. Coppejans, K. D. Alexander, E. Berger, M. F. Bietenholz, R. Chornock, L. M. DeMarchi, M. R. Drout, Tarraneh Eftekhari, W. V. Jacobson-Galán, T. Laskar, D. Milisavljević, Kohta Murase, M. Nicholl, Conor M. B. Omand, M. C. Stroh, G. Terreran, B. A. VanderLey
Abstract
Abstract We present the results from a multiyear radio campaign of the superluminous supernova (SLSN) SN 2017ens, which yielded the earliest radio detection of an SLSN to date at the age of ∼3.3 yr after explosion. SN 2017ens was not detected at radio frequencies in the first ∼300 days but reached L ν ≈ 10 28 erg s −1 cm −2 Hz −1 at ν ∼ 6 GHz, ∼1250 days post explosion. Interpreting the radio observations in the context of synchrotron radiation from the supernova shock interaction with the circumstellar medium (CSM), we infer an effective mass-loss rate <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mover accent="true"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>̇</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> <mml:mo>≈</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>10</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>4</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mspace width="0.25em"/> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>☉</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mspace width="0.25em"/> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>yr</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> </mml:math> at r ∼ 10 17 cm from the explosion’s site, for a wind speed of v w = 50–60 km s −1 as measured from optical spectra. These findings are consistent with the spectroscopic metamorphosis of SN 2017ens from hydrogen poor to hydrogen rich ∼190 days after explosion reported by Chen et al. SN 2017ens is thus an addition to the sample of hydrogen-poor massive progenitors that explode shortly after having lost their hydrogen envelope. The inferred circumstellar densities, implying a CSM mass up to ∼0.5 M ☉ , and low velocity of the ejection suggest that binary interactions (in the form of common-envelope evolution and subsequent envelope ejection) play a role in shaping the evolution of the stellar progenitors of SLSNe in the ≲500 yr preceding core collapse.