Examining supernova events in Type 1 active galactic nuclei

Abstract

ABSTRACT A statistical study of intermediate Palomar Transient Factory supernovae (SNe) in Type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) has shown a major deficit of supernovae around Type 1 AGN host galaxies, with respect to Type 2 AGN hosts. The aim of this work is to test whether there is any preference for Type 1 AGNs to host SN of a specific kind. Through the analysis of SN occurrence and their type (thermonuclear versus core-collapse), we can directly link the type of stars producing the SN events, thus this is an indirect way to study host galaxies in Type 1 AGNs. We examine the detection fractions of SNe, the host galaxies and compare the sample properties to typical host galaxies in the Open Supernova Catalog (OSC). The majority of the host galaxies in the AGN sample are late type, similar to typical galaxies hosting SN within the OSC. The findings are supportive of a deficiency of SNe near Type 1 AGNs, although we cannot with certainty assess the overall detection fractions of SNe in Type 1 AGNs relative to other SN host galaxies. We can state that Type 1 AGN has equal detection fractions of thermonuclear versus core-collapse SNe. However, we note the possibility of a higher detection rate of core-collapse supernovae in Type 1 AGN with insecure AGN classifications.