SN 2023fyq: Direct detection of a Type Ibn supernova progenitor and its multiwavelength environmental constraints
9 affiliations
- 1School of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
- 2National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- 3Institute for Frontiers in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Beijing Normal University
- 4School of Space and Earth Sciences, Beihang University
- 5Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University
- 6Department of Astronomy, School of Physics, Peking Unversity
- 7Department of Physics, Royal Holloway, University of London
- 8School of Physics and Astronomy, China West Normal University
- 9New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Abstract
Context. Type Ibn supernovae (SNe) are characterized by narrow helium emission lines that arise from ejecta-circumstellar medium interaction, yet their progenitors remain debated, with both massive Wolf-Rayet stars and low-mass helium stars in binaries proposed.
Aims. We aim to directly identify the progenitor of the Type Ibn SN 2023fyq and to characterize its environment in order to constrain the progenitor’s nature and evolutionary channel.
Methods. We search for the SN progenitor based on pre-explosion and late-time HST and JWST images and derive its properties by fitting the spectral energy distribution. We investigate the SN environment by probing the stars, dust, ionized gas and molecular gas with a multiwavelength dataset including HST and JWST imaging, VLT/MUSE integral-field-unit spectroscopy, and ALMA CO(2−1) radio interferometry.
Results. We discover a pre-explosion source at the SN position, which is consistent with a hot ( T > 15 000 K) and luminous (log( L / L ⊙ ) ≳ 5.5) SN progenitor and a possible host star cluster. The progenitor is confirmed to have disappeared after the explosion. Analysis of the SN environment implies that the progenitor likely has an age of log( t /yr) = 7.1−7.2. These phenomena disfavor a very massive single-star progenitor and instead support a binary scenario involving a low-mass helium star and a compact object; the observed progenitor emission likely arises from binary interaction that began at least ∼12 yr before the explosion.
Conclusions. SN 2023fyq is the first Type Ibn SN with a directly detected progenitor and a possible host star cluster. It adds to the diversity of Type Ibn SNe in terms of their progenitor channels and mass-loss mechanisms.
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BibTeX
@article{hong20262023fyq,
title = {{SN 2023fyq: Direct detection of a Type Ibn supernova progenitor and its multiwavelength environmental constraints}},
author = {Xinyi Hong and Ning-Chen Sun and Yali Shao and Ke Wang and Junjie Wu and Qiang Xi and Yi-Han Zhao and Justyn R. Maund and Xiaohan Chen and Anyu Wang and Linxi Zhang and Jifeng Liu},
journal = {Astronomy \& Astrophysics},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1051/0004-6361/202660951},
url = {https://www.aanda.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202660951},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - SN 2023fyq: Direct detection of a Type Ibn supernova progenitor and its multiwavelength environmental constraints
AU - Xinyi Hong
AU - Ning-Chen Sun
AU - Yali Shao
AU - Ke Wang
AU - Junjie Wu
AU - Qiang Xi
AU - Yi-Han Zhao
AU - Justyn R. Maund
AU - Xiaohan Chen
AU - Anyu Wang
AU - Linxi Zhang
AU - Jifeng Liu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - Astronomy & Astrophysics
DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/202660951
UR - https://www.aanda.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202660951
AB - Context. Type Ibn supernovae (SNe) are characterized by narrow helium emission lines that arise from ejecta-circumstellar medium interaction, yet their progenitors remain debated, with both massive Wolf-Rayet stars and low-mass helium stars in binaries proposed. Aims. We aim to directly identify the progenitor of the Type Ibn SN 2023fyq and to characterize its environment in order to constrain the progenitor’s nature and evolutionary channel. Methods. We search for the SN progenitor based on pre-explosion and late-time HST and JWST images and derive its properties by fitting the spectral energy distribution. We investigate the SN environment by probing the stars, dust, ionized gas and molecular gas with a multiwavelength dataset including HST and JWST imaging, VLT/MUSE integral-field-unit spectroscopy, and ALMA CO(2−1) radio interferometry. Results. We discover a pre-explosion source at the SN position, which is consistent with a hot ( T > 15 000 K) and luminous (log( L / L ⊙ ) ≳ 5.5) SN progenitor and a possible host star cluster. The progenitor is confirmed to have disappeared after the explosion. Analysis of the SN environment implies that the progenitor likely has an age of log( t /yr) = 7.1−7.2. These phenomena disfavor a very massive single-star progenitor and instead support a binary scenario involving a low-mass helium star and a compact object; the observed progenitor emission likely arises from binary interaction that began at least ∼12 yr before the explosion. Conclusions. SN 2023fyq is the first Type Ibn SN with a directly detected progenitor and a possible host star cluster. It adds to the diversity of Type Ibn SNe in terms of their progenitor channels and mass-loss mechanisms.
SN - 0004-6361
SN - 1432-0746
ER -