VLBI Observations of SN 2012au Reveal a Compact Radio Source a Decade Post Explosion

Abstract

Three leading models have been put forth to justify the observed radio re-brightening associated with stripped-envelope supernovae (SESNe) years post-explosion: radiation from an emerging pulsar wind nebula (PWN), shock interaction with a dense circumstellar medium (CSM), or emission from off-axis, relativistic jets. SN 2012au is a particularly intriguing SESN in this regard as observations obtained $\gtrsim$ 6 years post-explosion have shown both (i) optical emission features consistent with a young PWN and (ii) a radio re-brightening. We present the results of our Very-Long-Baseline-Interferometric (VLBI) observations of SN 2012au performed between 8 to 13 years post core-collapse. Our VLBI observations reveal a luminous, steadily fading radio source that remains compact ($\le 1.4\times 10^{17}\mathrm{cm}$) and stationary ($\le 0.36c$) over the course of our campaign. Overall, we find that our VLBI measurements can be readily explained by a $\sim$decade-old PWN, potentially explained by shock interaction with specific CSM geometries, and are unlikely to be explained by emission from an off-axis, relativistic jet. Assuming a PWN origin, our observations require that the initial spin-down luminosity of the central pulsar be between $10^{36}\mathrm{erg}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}\le {\dot{E}}_0\le 4\times 10^{42}\mathrm{erg}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ and radio efficiency factor be ${\eta }_{\mathrm{R}}\ge 3\times 10^{-7}$ (both quoted at the $99.7\%$ confidence interval). These results are consistent with independent inferences obtained using optical spectroscopy of SN 2012au, alongside inferences of known Galactic systems. If a PWN origin is confirmed, SN 2012au would represent the first extragalactic PWN emerging from a modern day SN, providing a novel opportunity to study the formation properties of a decade-old pulsar.

arXiv comment35 pages, 10 figures, published in ApJ

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