VLT/FORS2 spectroscopic classification of nuclear transient Gaia18aql as Supernova Type Ia
ATel #11486; N. Ihanec(Univ. Nova Gorica), M. Gromadzki, L. Wyrzykowski (Warsaw)
on 28 Mar 2018; 15:55 UT
Credential Certification: Lukasz Wyrzykowski (wyrzykow@astrouw.edu.pl)
Subjects: Optical, Supernovae, Transient
The optical transient Gaia18aql/AT2018zo/ATLAS18mgs was detected by Gaia Science Alerts program on 2018-03-15 in the nucleus of galaxy LEDA 57207 with the previous detection by ATLAS.
We obtained the spectrum on 2018-03-20 with the FOcal Reducer/low dispersion Spectrograph 2 (FORS2) on the Very Large Telescope (VLT). The spectroscopic classification was done using SNID code (Blondin & Tonry 2007, ApJ, 666, 1024) and it was matched to SN Type Ia, 21 days past maximum. Estimated redshift z=0.054 gives the absolute magnitude of the transient of approximately -18.49 mag.
The redshift was based on host broad H-alpha line. The spectrum shows blue continuum with superimposed emission lines of the Balmer series, [O II], [O III] and S II normal for this SN type.
Name | IAU name | RA (J2000) | Dec (J2000) | Disc. Date | Disc. Mag | Obs. Date | z | Host | Type | Notes
Gaia18aql | AT2018zo | 16:07:15.74 | +26:11:48.05 | 2018-03-15 | 18.49 | 2018-03-20 | 0.054 | LEDA 57207 | SN Ia + 3 weeks
We acknowledge ESA Gaia, DPAC and the Photometric Science Alerts Team (http://gsaweb.ast.cam.ac.uk/alerts). We also thank ESO and VLT staff for the observations. VLT/FORS2 ToO observations were carried under ESO programme 0100.B-0503(A), PI: Gromadzki.
