The mystery of photometric twins DES17X1boj and DES16E2bjy
- Pursiainen, M;
- Gutiérrez, CP;
- Wiseman, P;
- Childress, M;
- Smith, M;
- Frohmaier, C;
- Angus, C;
- Segura, N Castro;
- Kelsey, L;
- Sullivan, M;
- Galbany, L;
- Nugent, P;
- Bassett, BA;
- Brout, D;
- Carollo, D;
- D’Andrea, CB;
- Davis, TM;
- Foley, RJ;
- Grayling, M;
- Hinton, SR;
- Inserra, C;
- Kessler, R;
- Lewis, GF;
- Lidman, C;
- Macaulay, E;
- March, M;
- Möller, A;
- Müller, T;
- Scolnic, D;
- Sommer, NE;
- Swann, E;
- Thomas, BP;
- Tucker, BE;
- Vincenzi, M;
- Abbott, TMC;
- Allam, S;
- Annis, J;
- Avila, S;
- Bertin, E;
- Brooks, D;
- Buckley-Geer, E;
- Burke, DL;
- Rosell, A Carnero;
- Kind, M Carrasco;
- da Costa, LN;
- De Vicente, J;
- Desai, S;
- Diehl, HT;
- Doel, P;
- Eifler, TF;
- Everett, S;
- Flaugher, B;
- Frieman, J;
- García-Bellido, J;
- Gaztanaga, E;
- Gerdes, DW;
- Gruen, D;
- Gruendl, RA;
- Gschwend, J;
- Gutierrez, G;
- Hollowood, DL;
- Honscheid, K;
- James, DJ;
- Kim, AG;
- Krause, E;
- Kuehn, K;
- Maia, MAG;
- Marshall, JL;
- Menanteau, F;
- Miquel, R;
- Ogando, RLC;
- Palmese, A;
- Paz-Chinchón, F;
- Plazas, AA;
- Roodman, A;
- Sanchez, E;
- Scarpine, V;
- Schubnell, M;
- Serrano, S;
- Sevilla-Noarbe, I;
- Suchyta, E;
- Swanson, MEC;
- Tarle, G;
- Wester, W
- et al.
Abstract
We present an analysis of DES17X1boj and DES16E2bjy, two peculiar transients discovered by the Dark Energy Survey (DES). They exhibit nearly identical double-peaked light curves that reach very different maximum luminosities (Mr = -15.4 and -17.9, respectively). The light-curve evolution of these events is highly atypical and has not been reported before. The transients are found in different host environments: DES17X1boj was found near the nucleus of a spiral galaxy, while DES16E2bjy is located in the outskirts of a passive red galaxy. Early photometric data are well fitted with a blackbody and the resulting moderate photospheric expansion velocities (1800 km s-1 for DES17X1boj and 4800 km s-1 for DES16E2bjy) suggest an explosive or eruptive origin. Additionally, a feature identified as high-velocity Ca ii absorption (v ≈ 9400 km s-1) in the near-peak spectrum of DES17X1boj may imply that it is a supernova. While similar light-curve evolution suggests a similar physical origin for these two transients, we are not able to identify or characterize the progenitors.
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