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

TL;DR

This paper showcases the Palomar Transient Factory's real-time detection and rapid multiwavelength follow-up of a highly subluminous Type II-P supernova, demonstrating capabilities previously limited to high-energy transients.

Contribution

It introduces the PTF's real-time detection and follow-up system for optical transients, including a case study of a low-luminosity supernova, expanding rapid response capabilities.

Findings

Successful real-time detection of a subluminous supernova

Rapid multiwavelength follow-up from radio to gamma-ray

Demonstration of PTF's capabilities comparable to high-energy transient observations

Abstract

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.