iPTF Survey for Cool Transients

Fox, O. D.; Cenko, S. B.; Sollerman, J.; Kulkarni, S. R.; Nugent, P. E.; Amanullah, R.; Goobar, A.; Kasliwal, M. M.; Blagorodnova, N.; Cao, Y.; Cook, D. O.; Fremling, C.; Karamehmetoglu, E.; Taddia, F.; Walters, R.; Adams, S. M.; Laher, R. R.; Bulla, M.; Kupfer, T.; Neill, J. D.; Gezari, S.; Hung, T.; Masci, F. J.; Ho, A. Y. Q.; Miller, A. A.; Ferretti, R.; Barlow, T.; Bue, B.

United States, Sweden

Abstract

We performed a wide-area (2000 deg2) g and I band experiment as part of a two month extension to the Intermediate Palomar Transient Factory. We discovered 36 extragalactic transients including iPTF17lf, a highly reddened local SN Ia, iPTF17bkj, a new member of the rare class of transitional Ibn/IIn supernovae, and iPTF17be, a candidate luminous blue variable outburst. We do not detect any luminous red novae and place an upper limit on their rate. We show that adding a slow-cadence I band component to upcoming surveys such as the Zwicky Transient Facility will improve the photometric selection of cool and dusty transients.

2018 Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
eHST 12