JWST Nebular Spectroscopy of SN 2023qov: Circumstellar Dust Emission in a Normal Type Ia Supernova

Abstract We present panchromatic observations of the Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2023qov, ranging from ∼2 weeks before to ∼1 yr after maximum light. JWST near- and mid-infrared spectra at +276 and +363 days show ∼400 K dust emission that cools by ∼75 K between epochs, the first unambiguous spectroscopic detection of dust emission in a normal SN Ia. We find that the emission is well described by models of carbonaceous dust placed within ∼1 lt-yr of the SN, with a dust mass of ∼10 −4 M ⊙ . We do not see evidence of active dust creation, suggesting an infrared light echo by preexisting circumstellar dust as the likely source of the emission. The JWST nebular line profiles suggest asymmetric, stratified ejecta, similar to other normal SNe Ia, though a slight double-horn structure in the argon lines indicates a toroidal enhancement. SN 2023qov exhibits a slightly red, fast-declining early light curve (Δ m 15 ( B ) = 1.47 ± 0.05 mag), from which we determine a 56 Ni mass of M 56 = 0.21 ± 0.04 M ⊙ , and a distance of d = 36.0 ± 1.8 Mpc to the SN and its host, NGC 7029. The presence of circumstellar dust around a normal SN Ia has implications both for the progenitor system, suggesting a less than pristine environment, and for cosmology, as a possible source of reddening and extinction that can affect distance inferences.

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Journal
The Astrophysical Journal
Published
2026-09-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae9bbf
Primary Topic
Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
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article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

JWST Nebular Spectroscopy of SN 2023qov: Circumstellar Dust Emission in a Normal Type Ia Supernova

K. Maguire, J. Terwel, Moira Andrews, Lindsey A. Kwok et al.
The Astrophysical Journal
Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
article

JWST Nebular Spectroscopy of SN 2023qov: Circumstellar Dust Emission in a Normal Type Ia Supernova

K. Maguire, J. Terwel, Moira Andrews, Lindsey A. Kwok, Saurabh W. Jha, Adam A. Miller, A. Rest, Matthew R. Siebert, Brad E. Tucker, Conor Larison, József Vinkó, G. Hosseinzadeh, A. V. Filippenko, Estefania Padilla Gonzalez, Michaela Schwab, Barnabás Barna, Or Graur, Réka Könyves-Tóth, Mridweeka Singh, David J. Sand, WeiKang Zheng, Keiichi Maeda, Tamás Szalai, Katie Auchettl, Abigail Polin, Megan Newsome, Christopher E. Lidman, Tea Temim, J. Johansson, Carles Badenes, Huei Sears, Colin W. Macrie, Xiaofeng Wang, K. Azalee Bostroem, Bailey Martin, Ori D. Fox, Mi Dai, Thomas G. Brink, Stéphane Blondin, D. Andrew Howell, Kyle W. Davis, Zoe Rosenberg, Xiaofeng Wang, Saarah Hall, Joseph R. Farah, Anders Jerkstrand
article en

Abstract

Abstract We present panchromatic observations of the Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2023qov, ranging from ∼2 weeks before to ∼1 yr after maximum light. JWST near- and mid-infrared spectra at +276 and +363 days show ∼400 K dust emission that cools by ∼75 K between epochs, the first unambiguous spectroscopic detection of dust emission in a normal SN Ia. We find that the emission is well described by models of carbonaceous dust placed within ∼1 lt-yr of the SN, with a dust mass of ∼10 −4 M ⊙ . We do not see evidence of active dust creation, suggesting an infrared light echo by preexisting circumstellar dust as the likely source of the emission. The JWST nebular line profiles suggest asymmetric, stratified ejecta, similar to other normal SNe Ia, though a slight double-horn structure in the argon lines indicates a toroidal enhancement. SN 2023qov exhibits a slightly red, fast-declining early light curve (Δ m 15 ( B ) = 1.47 ± 0.05 mag), from which we determine a 56 Ni mass of M 56 = 0.21 ± 0.04 M ⊙ , and a distance of d = 36.0 ± 1.8 Mpc to the SN and its host, NGC 7029. The presence of circumstellar dust around a normal SN Ia has implications both for the progenitor system, suggesting a less than pristine environment, and for cosmology, as a possible source of reddening and extinction that can affect distance inferences.

The Astrophysical JournalVol. 1009(2)
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US), Eötvös Loránd University (HU), Northwestern University (US), Australian National University (AU), Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (US), Space Telescope Science Institute (US), European Southern Observatory (DE), University of Arizona (US), Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IN), Johns Hopkins University (US), Rochester Institute of Technology (US), Stockholm University (SE), The University of Melbourne (AU), University of Pittsburgh (US), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Princeton University (US), Trinity College Dublin (IE), Aix-Marseille Université (FR), Purdue University West Lafayette (US), Kyoto University (JP), University of Szeged (HU), Chinese Academy of Science South America Center for Astronomy (CL), Central Park West Health Center (US), HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences (HU), European Southern Observatory (CL), Central Park Conservancy (US), University of Virginia (US), University of Portsmouth (GB), Hainan Tropical Ocean University (CN), The University of Texas at Austin (US), Tsinghua University (CN)
National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Space Telescope Science Institute, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council
Openalex Percentile: Top 68%
Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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