Probing the circumstellar medium 2.8 Gyr after the big bang: detection of Bowen fluorescence in the Sunburst arcShow others and affiliations
2020 (English)In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, ISSN 1745-3925, Vol. 499, no 1, p. L67-L71Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
We discovered Bowen emission arising from a strongly lensed (i.e., with magnification factor μ>20) source hosted in the Sunburst arc at z=2.37. We claim this source is plausibly a transient stellar object and study the unique ultraviolet lines emerging from it. In particular, narrow (σ_v ~ 40 km/s) ionisation lines of Fe fluoresce after being exposed to Lya radiation that pumps selectively their atomic levels. Data from VLT/MUSE, X-Shooter and ESPRESSO observations (the latter placed at the focus of the four UTs) at increasing spectral resolution of R=2500, 11400 and R=70000, respectively, confirm such fluorescent lines are present since at least 3.3 years (~ 1 year rest-frame). Additional Fe forbidden lines have been detected, while C and Si doublets probe an electron density n_e >~ 106 cm−3. Similarities with the spectral features observed in the circum-stellar Weigelt blobs of Eta-Carinae probing the circum-stellar dense gas condensations in radiation-rich conditions are observed. We discuss the physical origin of the transient event, which remains unclear. We expect such transient events (including also supernova or impostors) will be easily recognised with ELTs thanks to high angular resolution provided by adaptive optics and large collecting area, especially in modest (μ<3) magnification regime.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
London: Oxford University Press, 2020. Vol. 499, no 1, p. L67-L71
Keywords [en]
gravitational lensing, supernovae, astrophysics, astrophysics of galaxies
National Category
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-36786DOI: 10.1093/mnrasl/slaa163ISI: 000587776700014Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85096932327OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mau-36786DiVA, id: diva2:1500346
Funder
Swedish Research Council, 2016-041852020-11-112020-11-112024-06-17Bibliographically approved