Red Supergiant Candidates for Multimessenger Monitoring of the Next Galactic Supernova

TL;DR

This paper creates a comprehensive catalog of red supergiants in the Milky Way to enhance multimessenger monitoring and early supernova detection, improving the ability to observe progenitors before explosion.

Contribution

It provides the largest catalog of Galactic RSG candidates with detailed properties, aiding supernova early warning systems and progenitor identification.

Findings

Catalog includes 578 highly probable and 62 likely RSGs.

3D position estimates can significantly reduce progenitor candidates.

Enhanced early warning capabilities for Galactic supernovae.

Abstract

We compile a catalog of 578 highly probable and 62 likely red supergiants (RSGs) of the Milky Way, which represents the largest list of Galactic RSG candidates designed for continuous follow-up to date. We match distances measured by Gaia DR3, 2MASS photometry, and a 3D Galactic dust map to obtain luminous bright late-type stars. Determining the stars' bolometric luminosities and effective temperatures, we compare to Geneva stellar evolution tracks to determine likely RSG candidates, and quantify contamination using a catalog of Galactic AGB in the same luminosity-temperature space. We add details for common or interesting characteristics of RSG, such as multi-star system membership, variability, and classification as a runaway. As potential future core-collapse supernova (SN) progenitors, we study the ability of the catalog to inform the Supernova Early Warning System (SNEWS) coincidence network made to automate pointing, and show that for 3D position estimates made possible by neutrinos, the number of progenitor candidates can be significantly reduced, improving our ability to observe the progenitor pre-explosion and the early phases of the core-collapse supernova.