Mass-loss rate constraints on the Type Ia SN 2018pv from e-MERLIN observations

ATel #11324; M. Perez-Torres (IAA-CSIC, Granada), P. Lundqvist (Stockholm University), J. Moldon (JBCA, Manchester), S. Ryder (Maccquarie University/AAO), E. Kundu (Stockholm University), E. Varenius (JBCA, Manchester), A. Alberdi (IAA-CSIC, Granada), R. Beswick (JBCA, Manchester), C.-I. Bjornsson (Stockholm University), C. Fransson (Stockholm University)
on 20 Feb 2018; 14:34 UT
Credential Certification: Miguel A. Perez-Torres (torres@iaa.es)

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We observed the young Type Ia supernova 2018pv with the electronic Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (e-MERLIN) at 5.1 GHz. SN 2018pv was discovered on 3.63 February 2018 UT (MJD 58153.13) in the nearby (z=0.0031) galaxy NGC3941 (Tsuboi, TNS discovery report #16800), and a spectrum on 8.78 February 2018 (MJD 58158.78) confirmed the SN as a Type Ia event a few days before maximum (Yamanaka, TNS classification report #1712). Our observations were carried out on 9-10 February 2018 UT (MJD 58159.08), six days after the SN discovery. We centered our observations at the position of the optical discovery (J2000.0 coordinates RA=11:52:55.70, DEC=+36:59:11.60, TNS discovery report #16800). We find no evidence of radio emission in a circular region of 2.0 arcsec of radius surrounding SN2018pv, down to a 3-sigma upper limit of 57.6 microJy/beam. For an assumed distance of 13.1 Mpc, the corresponding upper limit of the monochromatic 5.1 GHz luminosity is of 1.2E25 erg/s/Hz (3-sigma). Based on the optical similarities of SN2018pv with SN 1992A, we estimate that SN 2018pv had an age t = (14 +/- 1) days at the epoch of our radio observations. Using the same model as in ATel #10168 and ATel #11211 for SN 2016coj and SN2018gv, respectively, and assuming an age of 14 days for SN 2018pv, our upper limit in the 5.1 GHz radio luminosity corresponds to an upper limit on the wind mass loss rate of the supernova progenitor of 1.7E-8 solar masses per year (3-sigma), for an assumed wind speed of 100 km/s. We thank the e-MERLIN staff for supporting our ToO program in search for radio emission from Type Ia supernovae.