The Enigmatic Type Icn Supernova 2024abvb Located ~22 kpc from Its Host Galaxy

TL;DR

This paper presents multiwavelength observations and analysis of the highly offset Type Icn supernova 2024abvb, revealing its luminosity, spectral features, and progenitor characteristics, and suggesting a lower-mass star stripped by a companion as its origin.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed study of SN 2024abvb, including spectral, photometric, and environmental analysis, expanding understanding of Type Icn supernovae and their progenitors.

Findings

SN 2024abvb is among the most luminous SNe Icn.

Spectral features suggest a Wolf-Rayet-like wind velocity.

Progenitor likely a 8-10 Msun star with a compact companion.

Abstract

We report multiwavelength observations of the highly offset (~22.4 kpc) SN 2024abvb, the sixth Type Icn supernova to date. With a peak magnitude of Mr = -19.55 +/- 0.11 mag, it is among the most luminous in the existing sample and shows similar colours and decline rates to other SNe Icn. The early optical spectra show a blue continuum with narrow C II features (vFWHM ~ 2000 km s^-1), consistent with a typical wind velocity of a Wolf-Rayet star. The absence of C III lambda 5696 emission at the time of explosion is consistent with a Type Ibn supernova; however, the lack of narrow He lines in both the optical and near-infrared spectra supports a SNe Icn classification. Unlike the majority of SNe Icn, we do not detect broad features in the late-time (7-21 days relative to o-band peak) spectral phase of SN 2024abvb. Semi-analytical modelling of the light curves shows that it can be reproduced by ~2.6 Msun of SN ejecta interacting with ~0.3 Msun of circumstellar material (CSM), both larger than other SNe Icn but consistent with rapidly evolving SNe Ibn. The metallicity at the SN location is significantly lower than the global metallicity of its host galaxy, suggesting that line-driven mass loss required to strip the progenitor of its H and He envelopes was likely inefficient. We estimate the star-formation-rate history at the location of SN 2024abvb and find that it lies at the bottom ~5th percentile among SESNe hosts, inconsistent with a Wolf-Rayet progenitor. Based on its spectral features, local and host environment properties, and host-galaxy offset, we favour an 8-10 Msun star stripped by a compact companion as the progenitor, with a sufficient runaway velocity to reach the observed offset.