Discovery, Progenitor & Early Evolution of a Stripped Envelope Supernova iPTF13bvn
Yi Cao, Mansi M. Kasliwal, Iair Arcavi, Assaf Horesh, Paul Hancock,, Stefano Valenti, S. Bradley Cenko, S. R. Kulkarni, Avishay Gal-Yam, Evgeny, Gorbikov, Eran O. Ofek, David Sand, Ofer Yaron, Melissa Graham, Jeffrey M., Silverman, J. Craig Wheeler, G. H. Marion, Emma Walker

TL;DR
This paper reports the discovery and analysis of supernova iPTF13bvn, providing the first potential direct detection of a Type Ib supernova progenitor, and characterizing its early evolution, explosion date, and progenitor properties.
Contribution
It presents the first possible direct detection of a Type Ib supernova progenitor and characterizes its early light curve, explosion timing, and progenitor properties through multi-wavelength observations.
Findings
Progenitor candidate detected in pre-explosion images.
Explosion date estimated to be 1.1 days before first detection.
Progenitor likely a Wolf Rayet star with a small radius.
Abstract
The intermediate Palomar Transient Factory reports our discovery of a young supernova, iPTF13bvn, in the nearby galaxy, NGC5806 (22.5Mpc). Our spectral sequence in the optical and infrared suggests a likely Type Ib classification. We identify a single, blue progenitor candidate in deep pre-explosion imaging within a 2{\sigma} error circle of 80 mas (8.7 pc). The candidate has a MB luminosity of -5.2 +/- 0.4 mag and a B-I color of 0.1+/-0.3 mag. If confirmed by future observations, this would be the first direct detection for a progenitor of a Type Ib. Fitting a power law to the early light curve, we find an extrapolated explosion date around 1.1 days before our first detection. We see no evidence of shock cooling. The pre-explosion detection limits constrain the radius of the progenitor to be smaller than a few solar radii. iPTF13bvn is also detected in cm and mm-wavelengths. Fitting a…
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