JWST Observations of SN 2024abup: First Detection of CO in a Broad-lined Type Ic Supernova and Constraints on r -process Nucleosynthesis
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: SN 2024abup is a nearby broad-lined Type Ic supernova (SN Ic-bl) in NGC 0681 at a distance of 23.3 ± 1.6 Mpc. As energetic explosions of massive stars, SNe Ic-bl are considered a plausible site for rapid-neutron capture nucleosynthesis ( r -process) and chemical enrichment from short-lived progenitors. They may also contribute to dust production in the early Universe. We present JWST near- to mid-infrared (NIR+MIR) observations (1–14 μ m) of SN Ic-bl 2024abup at +41 days after the V -band maximum (+54 days after explosion), the first-ever JWST+MIR observation of an SN Ic-bl along with radio and optical data. Using the spectral synthesis code SUMO , we identify the observed broad IR line features in SN 2024abup and find significant contributions from C, O, Mg, and carbon monoxide (CO)—the earliest detection of molecules in a core-collapse SN so far. The spectrum shows continuum emission at wavelengths greater than 1.5 μ m, which could be explained by dust—preexisting, newly formed, or a combination—heated by the SN. We do not find unambiguous evidence for infrared signatures of r -process elements, though our search is hampered by the presence of many broad and blended features from the non- r -process elements such as [Te iii ] + Mg ii at 2.1 μ m. These new observations indicate that SNe Ic-bl could be a contributor to early-universe dust production and suggest that if r -process elements are produced, revealing their presence from spectra requires very high-quality data and models to disentangle blends.
Authors: Manisha Shrestha, Lindsey A. Kwok, David J. Sand, Stan Barmentloo, Collin Christy, Anders Jerkstrand, K. Azalee Bostroem, Jennifer E. Andrews, Kate D. Alexander, Yize 一泽 Dong 董, C. E. Fields, Emily Hoang, Griffin Hosseinzadeh, Brian Hsu, Daryl Janzen, Saurabh W. Jha, Joel Johansson, Jeniveve Pearson, M. J. Lundquist, Darshana Mehta, Aidan Martas, Maryam Modjaz, Bernhard Müller, Conor L. Ransome, Aravind P. Ravi, Mathieu Renzo, Nicolás Meza Retamal, Bhagya Subrayan, Nathan Smith, Stefano Valenti, Sergiy Vasylyev, Giacomo Ricigliano, Peter J. Brown, Moira Andrews, Joseph Farah, D. Andrew Howell, Curtis McCully, Megan Newsome, Kathryn Wynn, Ryan Chornock, Natalie LeBaron, Raffaella Margutti, Melissa Shahbandeh, Chris Ashall, Peter Hoeflich
Institutions: ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery, Monash University, Northwestern University, University of Arizona, Stockholm University, International Gemini Observatory, Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian, University of California System, University of Saskatchewan, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, W.M. Keck Observatory, University of Virginia, Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Texas A&M University, Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, Space Telescope Science Institute, University of Hawaii System, Florida State University
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,400
Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, John Templeton Foundation, California Institute of Technology, Space Telescope Science Institute, University of Leicester, Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, Vetenskapsrådet, Australian Research Council, Astrophysics Division
Awards: G103270039, G1338664626, G1441096865, G1773394881, Collaborative Research: Studying Nearby Cosmic Explosions from their Earliest Moments, G2318220113, Collaborative Research: The Multimessenger Treasure TROVE, a Tool for Rapid Object Vetting and Examination, Collaborative Research: WoU-MMA: Searches After Gravitational-waves Using Arizona's Observatories (SAGUARO), G256731684, G2720911013, G2924150107, Collaborative Research: Unravelling Stripped Supernovae - Synergy between Observations and Modeling, G4632909464, Speeding up the messenger: immediate detection of multimessenger transients with Las Cumbres Observatory, G5568641063, Supernova and kilonova explosions: diagnosing the element factories of the Universe, Collaborative Research: Automated Search and Follow-Up of Electromagnetic Counterparts to Gravitational-Wave Events in O4, ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery, G712881263, G7187285009, G7622352226, G796431723, NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins, NAISS, Establishing a Templeton LSST Early-Career Research Fellowship, Revealing Supernova Progenitors with Las Cumbres Observatory
OpenAlex ID: W7214959384