iPTF observation of PSN J14021678+5426205
ATel #7070; Y. Cao (Caltech), M. M. Kasliwal (Caltech/Princeton), G. Chen (PMO), I. Arcavi (LCOGT/UCSB) on behalf of the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory collaboration
on 14 Feb 2015; 20:26 UT
Credential Certification: Yi Cao (ycao@astro.caltech.edu)
Subjects: Optical, Supernovae, Transient, Variables
PSN J14021678+5426205, internally designated as iPTF13afz, was first detected on 2013 Feb 1 UT with a R-band magnitude of 20.6 mag. In our first image of the new season, taken on 2014 Nov 10, iPTF13afz had a magnitude of R=16.36. Our most recent visits showed that iPTF13afz had magnitudes of R=17.0 on 2015 Feb 7 and g=18.0 on 2015 Feb 13. All magnitudes are calibrated to the IPAC-PTF catalog (Ofek et al. 2014).
We acquired a low-resolution spectrum of iPTF13afz on 2015 Feb 14.5 with the Double Spectrograph on the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory. The spectrum shows a red continuum superposed by narrow lines of P Cygni profiles, including Halpha, and narrow absorption features including the Ca II IR triplet. The minimum of Halpha corresponds to an expansion velocity of about 450 km/s. This could be an intermediate luminosity red transient or an eruption event from a massive star.
