Recovering lost light: discovery of supernova remnants with integral field spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study uses integral field spectroscopy to identify young supernova remnants in nearby galaxies by detecting broad H-alpha emission, revealing potential progenitor characteristics and opening new avenues for supernova research.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic method for discovering supernova remnants using integral field spectroscopy data, highlighting their spectral features and progenitor implications.

Findings

Identified 19 supernova remnant candidates with broad H-alpha emission.

Found that SNR candidates have younger stellar environments than typical core-collapse SNe.

Demonstrated the effectiveness of integral field spectroscopy in supernova remnant detection.

Abstract

We present results from a systematic search for broad ($\geq$ 400 \kms) \ha\ emission in Integral Field Spectroscopy data cubes of $\sim$1200 nearby galaxies obtained with PMAS and MUSE. We found 19 unique regions that pass our quality cuts, four of which match the locations of previously discovered SNe: one Type IIP, and three Type IIn, including the well-known SN 2005ip. We suggest that these objects are young Supernova Remnants, with bright and broad \ha\ emission powered by the interaction between the SN ejecta and dense circumstellar material. The stellar ages measured at the location of these SNR candidates are systematically lower by about 0.5 dex than those measured at the location of core collapse SNe, implying that their progenitors might be shorter lived and therefore more massive than a typical CC SN progenitor. The methods laid out in this work open a new window into the study of nearby SNe with Integral Field Spectroscopy.