Candidate strongly lensed type Ia supernovae in the Zwicky Transient Facility archive

Context. Gravitationally lensed type Ia supernovae (glSNe Ia) are unique astronomical tools that can be used to study cosmological parameters, distributions of dark matter, the astrophysics of the supernovae, and the intervening lensing galaxies themselves. A small number of highly magnified glSNe Ia have been discovered by ground-based telescopes such as the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), but simulations predict that a fainter, undetected population may also exist. Aims. We present a systematic search for glSNe Ia in the ZTF archive of alerts distributed from June 1 2019 to September 1 2022. Methods. Using the AMPEL platform, we developed a pipeline that distinguishes candidate glSNe Ia from other variable sources. Initial cuts were applied to the ZTF alert photometry (with constraints on the peak absolute magnitude and the distance to a catalogue-matched galaxy, as examples) before forced photometry was obtained for the remaining candidates. Additional cuts were applied to refine the candidates based on their light curve colours, lens galaxy colours, and the resulting parameters from fits to the SALT2 SN Ia template. The candidates were also cross-matched with the DESI spectroscopic catalogue. Results. Seven transients were identified that passed all the cuts and had an associated galaxy DESI redshift, which we present as glSN Ia candidates. Although superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) cannot be fully rejected as contaminants, two events, ZTF19abpjicm and ZTF22aahmovu, are significantly different from typical SLSNe and their light curves can be modelled as two-image glSN Ia systems. From this two-image modelling, we estimate time delays of 22 ± 3 and 34 ± 1 days for the two events, respectively, which suggests that we have uncovered a population of glSNe Ia with longer time delays. Conclusions. The pipeline is efficient and sensitive enough to parse full alert streams. It is currently being applied to the live ZTF alert stream to identify and follow-up future candidates while active. This pipeline could be the foundation for glSNe Ia searches in future surveys, such as the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time.

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Publication Details

Journal
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Published
2024-12-20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202451082
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.66

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article

Candidate strongly lensed type Ia supernovae in the Zwicky Transient Facility archive

Alex Kim, Reed Riddle, Ludovic Lacroix, Andrew Lambert et al.
2 citations
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
0.66
article

Candidate strongly lensed type Ia supernovae in the Zwicky Transient Facility archive

Alex Kim, Reed Riddle, Ludovic Lacroix, Andrew Lambert, D. Brooks, Edvard Mörtsell, Devendra Sharma, Ana Sagués Carracedo, J. Nordin, Michael S. Schubnell, Graziano Rossi, A. Goobar, P.E Nugent, Eva-Maria Mueller, N. Palanque‐Delabrouille, Alice Townsend, Gregory Tarlé, Richard Dekany, Laurent Le Guillou, David Sprayberry, David J. Schlegel, Axel de la Macorra, S. Bailey, M. Kowalski, Martin Landriau, Nikki Arendse, M. Rigault, Jundan Nie, M. E. Levi, Marc Manera, J. Aguilar, Anthony Kremin, Eusebio Sanchez, Satya Gontcho A Gontcho, ENRIQUE GAZTAÑAGA, K. Honscheid, Serene Dhawan, M. W. Coughlin, Igor Andreoni, Cullan Howlett, Steve Schulze, Arjun T. Dey, Eric C. Bellm, J. E. Forero-Romero, Steven P. Ahlen, Aaron Meisner, R. Miquel, Theodore S. Kisner, Biprateep Dey, Mehdi Rezaie, Steven L. Groom, J. Johansson, John Moustakas, Claire Poppett, R.R Laher, Nikhil Sarin, E. Fernández, Hee‐Jong Seo, Hu Zou, T. Claybaugh, P. Doel, Adam D. Myers, Francisco Prada, K. Fanning
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Context. Gravitationally lensed type Ia supernovae (glSNe Ia) are unique astronomical tools that can be used to study cosmological parameters, distributions of dark matter, the astrophysics of the supernovae, and the intervening lensing galaxies themselves. A small number of highly magnified glSNe Ia have been discovered by ground-based telescopes such as the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), but simulations predict that a fainter, undetected population may also exist. Aims. We present a systematic search for glSNe Ia in the ZTF archive of alerts distributed from June 1 2019 to September 1 2022. Methods. Using the AMPEL platform, we developed a pipeline that distinguishes candidate glSNe Ia from other variable sources. Initial cuts were applied to the ZTF alert photometry (with constraints on the peak absolute magnitude and the distance to a catalogue-matched galaxy, as examples) before forced photometry was obtained for the remaining candidates. Additional cuts were applied to refine the candidates based on their light curve colours, lens galaxy colours, and the resulting parameters from fits to the SALT2 SN Ia template. The candidates were also cross-matched with the DESI spectroscopic catalogue. Results. Seven transients were identified that passed all the cuts and had an associated galaxy DESI redshift, which we present as glSN Ia candidates. Although superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) cannot be fully rejected as contaminants, two events, ZTF19abpjicm and ZTF22aahmovu, are significantly different from typical SLSNe and their light curves can be modelled as two-image glSN Ia systems. From this two-image modelling, we estimate time delays of 22 ± 3 and 34 ± 1 days for the two events, respectively, which suggests that we have uncovered a population of glSNe Ia with longer time delays. Conclusions. The pipeline is efficient and sensitive enough to parse full alert streams. It is currently being applied to the live ZTF alert stream to identify and follow-up future candidates while active. This pipeline could be the foundation for glSNe Ia searches in future surveys, such as the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time.

Astronomy and AstrophysicsVol. 694
Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (FR), Boston University (US), Northwestern University (US), Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ES), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (ES), California Institute of Technology (US), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ES), University of Wyoming (US), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), University of Minnesota (US), Goddard Space Flight Center (US), Institute of Space Sciences (ES), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US), Queensland University of Technology (AU), Stockholm University (SE), Universidad de Los Andes (CO), University of Sussex (GB), The University of Queensland (AU), University of Pittsburgh (US), Lyon College (US), Institute for High Energy Physics (ES), Kansas State University (US), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), University of Washington (US), University of Cambridge (GB), Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR), Université Paris-Saclay (FR), University of Michigan (US), Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY (DE), SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (US), Sejong University (KR), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE), Sorbonne Université (FR), Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (ES), Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (US), Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies (FR), Ohio University (US), Joint Space Science Institute (US), CEA Paris-Saclay (FR), Community Science and Data Center (US), AlbaNova (SE), NSF NOIRLab (US), Institute of Nuclear Physics of Lyon (FR), Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (ES), National Astronomical Observatories (CN), Institut de Recherche sur les Lois Fondamentales de l'Univers (FR), Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (ES), Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (US), Institut de Physique des 2 Infinis de Lyon (FR), Deleted Institution, City University of Seattle (US), University College London (GB), The Ohio State University (US), University of Portsmouth (GB), University of Maryland, College Park (US), KTH Royal Institute of Technology (SE), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX), Siena College (US), University of California, Berkeley (US)
National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, California Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, University of Washington, University of Warwick, Trinity College Dublin, Weizmann Institute of Science, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse, Vetenskapsrådet, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Stockholms Universitet, Office of Science, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules, Division of Astronomical Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
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Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
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