WorksPhysics and Astronomy
A universal relation predicts the observed reversal of a supernova chirp
Abstract · v1
Superluminous supernovae, among the brightest stellar explosions, are thought to be powered by newborn magnetars. One such event, SN 2024afav, ``chirped'', displaying sinusoidal, increasing-frequency ( d to d) light-curve modulations. The model explaining this chirp, a precessing disk falling onto the dimming magnetar, generalizes to a normalization-independent universal relation between the period derivative and the dimming rate of the light curve. Applied to the published chirp alone, with the spin-down time measured from the unmodulated light curve, the relation predicts that the chirp must halt near d and reverse. With continued follow-up of SN 2024afav, we report the discovery of five new modulations in which the chirp reverses ( d to d) at d, as predicted. Applied to chirping events from upcoming surveys, the relation could identify the precession mechanism and disk physics of each engine.
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