Webb detects the farthest Type Ia supernova
Featured image: The JADES Deep Field uses observations taken by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) as part of the JADES (JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey) program. A team of astronomers studying JADES data identified about 80 objects (circled in green) that changed in brightness over time. Most of these objects, known as transients, are the result of exploding stars or supernovae. Prior to this survey, only a handful of supernovae had been found above a redshift of 2, which corresponds to when the universe was only 3.3 billion years old — just 25% of its current age. The JADES sample contains many supernovae that exploded even further in the past, when the universe was less than 2 billion years old. It includes the farthest one ever spectroscopically confirmed, at a redshift of 3.6. Its progenitor star exploded when the universe was only 1.8 billion years old. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, JADES Collaboration
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) found the most distant Type Ia supernovae yet detected, demonstrating JWST’s ability to study extraterrestrial processes.
In 2023, astronomers discovered SN 2023adsy, a transient event in the galaxy JADES-GS+53.13485−27.82088, at a redshift of 2.9. The study, led by astronomers from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), reemphasizes SN 2023adsy’s classification as a Type Ia supernova by meticulously analyzing spectroscopic and light curve data recorded with the JWST.
“We present the JWST discovery of SN 2023adsy, a transient object located in a host galaxy JADESGS+53.13485−27.82088 with a host spectroscopic redshift of 2.903 ± 0.007. The transient was identified in deep James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)/NIRCam imaging from the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) program,” stated the team led by STScI’s J.D.R. Pierel in their research.
Type Ia supernovae have particularly piqued the interest of astronomers because of their uniform brightness, making them the perfect tool to measure distances in space as well as investigate the source of dark energy. These colossal explosions between two stars occur in a binary system where one star is a dwarf, that accretes materials from its companion until it reaches a critical mass, sparking a runaway nuclear reaction.
Despite its distance and redshift problems, SN 2023adsy displayed remarkable spectroscopic properties.
It has strong ionized calcium (Ca II) spectral lines and a measured velocity of roughly 19 000 km/s, which is much higher than that seen in normal Type Ia supernovae at lower redshifts. The unusual properties of SN 2023adsy, including its intense red hue, point to probable dust attenuation from its host galaxy.
This finding brings to light the importance of JWST in substantially increasing our knowledge of supernova explosions as well as its implications towards the study of the universe. By understanding these colossal explosions, astronomers can get insights into the evolution of stars, galaxies, and the universe itself.
“A larger sample of distant SNe Ia is required to determine if SN Ia population characteristics at high-z truly diverge from their low-z counterparts, and to confirm that standardized luminosities nevertheless remain constant with redshift,” the authors said. This ongoing research aims to refine our models and deepen our understanding of how these stellar events shape the universe.
While SN 2023adsy’s characteristics raise intriguing questions about the nature of supernovae at high redshifts, the scientists found that its consistency with the standardized model demonstrates Type Ia supernovae’s reliability as tools for probing the universe.
The discovery of SN 2023adsy by JWST is a great step towards astronomical research, revealing the telescope’s potential in extending the masses’ knowledge of astronomical phenomena at the edge of the observable universe.
Webb Space Telescope has identified 10 times more supernovae in the early universe than previously known. Several are the most distant examples of their type.
References:
1 Discovery of An Apparent Red, High-Velocity Type Ia Supernova at z = 2.9 with JWST – J.D.R. Pierel et al. -Arxiv – June 2024 – https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2406.05089
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