Twelve astronomers from four institutions have taken a big step into understanding the rare type Iax SN 2022xlp supernova. This particular, profoundly special stellar explosion happened in the spring of 2022. It has drawn attention because of its strangeness and in particular, the amazing ICE it emitted. Our observational campaign for SN 2022xlp started within six days of the SN explosion. It ran every day for 73 days, which provided researchers with an unprecedented opportunity to collect a wealth of data.
Dominik Bánhidi of the University of Szeged in Hungary led the study. This allowed his team, along with a variety of ground-based and space telescopes, to do critical photometry and spectroscopy on the event. The first spectrum placed SN 2022xlp among type Iax supernovae. This classification is particularly interesting because this category is distinguished by its peculiar luminosity range. The results were posted to the arXiv preprint server September 9.
Characteristics of SN 2022xlp
SN 2022xlp also earns distinction for its incredible explosion energy, estimated at around 20 quindecillion ergs ( ~ 20 × 10 36 ergs ). This extraordinary energy is a testament to the supernova’s strength and what it may mean for the future of our understanding of stellar life cycles. The scientists’ estimated ejecta mass was 0.14 solar masses. From an abstract perspective, this new discovery makes the celestial phenomenon even more important.
This observational campaign brought to light a dramatic change in color index. This change was approximately 1.5 magnitudes from 8 days prior to the explosion to 20 days post-explosion. These modifications are key in setting the characteristics of supernovae and tell us about their evolution through cosmic time.
“We present our multicolor photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2022xlp, which is the second intermediate-luminosity type Iax SN with detailed follow-up, as its V-band LC peaks at Mmax(V) = −16.04 ± 0.25 mag,” – Dominik Bánhidi et al.
Observational Techniques and Tools
To bring all the elements together, the team employed a unique mix of observational tools to gather qualitative and quantitative data. One of their main instruments, the BRC80 telescope at the Baja Astronomical Observatory, University of Szeged. RESEARCH SN 2022xlp This telescope was critical in producing the highest quality imaging and spectra of SN 2022xlp. Its crucial contributions helped researchers analyze it to its fullest.
Alongside these ground-based telescopes, several space telescopes were used to study the supernova, enabling a multi-wavelength view of the supernova’s characteristics. Those technologies combined to produce a truly groundbreaking dataset. Having this dataset would give us a better picture of what a rare type Iax event looks like.
Implications for Future Research
The publication detailing these findings, titled “Observations explore a rare type Iax supernova,” can be accessed on arXiv with the identifier 2509.07717. The work deepens our understanding of type Iax supernovae, and it will likely shape efforts in the field for years to come.
Astronomers are now more excited than ever as they actively explore the cosmos. Finds such as SN 2022xlp show how important institutional and interdisciplinary collaboration are to impactful research. Each one of these events adds new, rich data to the astrophysical community. It raises new questions about what processes power these amazing eruptions.