Testing for Intrinsic Type Ia Supernova Luminosity Evolution at z > 2 with JWST

J. D.R. Pierel; D. A. Coulter; M. R. Siebert; H. B. Akins; M. Engesser; O. D. Fox; M. Franco; A. Rest; A. Agrawal; Y. Ajay; N. Allen; C. M. Casey; C. DeCoursey; N. E. Drakos; E. Egami; A. L. Faisst; S. Gezari; G. Gozaliasl; O. Ilbert; D. O. Jones; M. Karmen; J. S. Kartaltepe; A. M. Koekemoer; Z. G. Lane; R. L. Larson; T. Li; D. Liu; T. J. Moriya; H. J. McCracken; L. Paquereau; R. M. Quimby; R. M. Rich; J. Rhodes; B. E. Robertson; D. B. Sanders; M. Shahbandeh; M. Shuntov; J. D. Silverman; L. G. Strolger; S. Toft; Y. Zenati

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/adb1d9

Testing for Intrinsic Type Ia Supernova Luminosity Evolution at z > 2 with JWST

J. D.R. Pierel
, D. A. Coulter
, M. R. Siebert
, H. B. Akins
, M. Engesser
, O. D. Fox
, M. Franco
, A. Rest
, A. Agrawal
, Y. Ajay
, N. Allen
, C. M. Casey
, C. DeCoursey
, N. E. Drakos
, E. Egami
, A. L. Faisst
, S. Gezari
, G. Gozaliasl
, O. Ilbert
, D. O. Jones

M. Karmen, J. S. Kartaltepe, A. M. Koekemoer, Z. G. Lane, R. L. Larson, T. Li, D. Liu, T. J. Moriya, H. J. McCracken, L. Paquereau, R. M. Quimby, R. M. Rich, J. Rhodes, B. E. Robertson, D. B. Sanders, M. Shahbandeh, M. Shuntov, J. D. Silverman, L. G. Strolger, S. Toft, Y. Zenati

Steward Observatory

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is opening new frontiers of transient discovery and follow-up at high redshift. Here we present the discovery of a spectroscopically confirmed Type Ia supernova (SN Ia; SN 2023aeax) at z = 2.15 with JWST, including a NIRCam multiband light curve. SN 2023aeax lands at the edge of traditional low-z cosmology cuts because of its blue color (peak rest-frame B − V ∼ −0.3) but with a normal decline rate (Δm₁₅(B) ∼ 1.25), and applying a fiducial standardization with the BayeSN model we find the SN 2023aeax luminosity distance is in ∼0.1σ agreement with ΛCDM. SN 2023aeax is only the second spectroscopically confirmed SN Ia in the dark matter–dominated Universe at z > 2 (the other is SN 2023adsy), giving it rare leverage to constrain any potential evolution in SN Ia standardized luminosities. Similar to SN 2023adsy (B − V ∼ 0.8), SN 2023aeax has a fairly extreme (but opposite) color, which may be due to the small sample size or a secondary factor, such as host galaxy properties. Nevertheless, the SN 2023aeax spectrum is well represented by normal low-z SN Ia spectra, and we find no definitive evolution in SN Ia standardization with redshift. Still, the first two spectroscopically confirmed z > 2 SNe Ia have peculiar colors and combine for a ∼1σ distance slope relative to ΛCDM, though in agreement with recent SN Ia cosmological measurements.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	adb1d9
Journal	Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	981
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adb1d9
State	Published - Mar 1 2025

Keywords

Cosmological evolution (336)
Cosmology (343)
Galaxy evolution (594)
Type Ia supernovae (1728)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.3847/2041-8213/adb1d9

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Pierel, J. D. R., Coulter, D. A., Siebert, M. R., Akins, H. B., Engesser, M., Fox, O. D., Franco, M., Rest, A., Agrawal, A., Ajay, Y., Allen, N., Casey, C. M., DeCoursey, C., Drakos, N. E., Egami, E., Faisst, A. L., Gezari, S., Gozaliasl, G., Ilbert, O., ... Zenati, Y. (2025). Testing for Intrinsic Type Ia Supernova Luminosity Evolution at z > 2 with JWST. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 981(1), Article adb1d9. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adb1d9

Pierel, JDR, Coulter, DA, Siebert, MR, Akins, HB, Engesser, M, Fox, OD, Franco, M, Rest, A, Agrawal, A, Ajay, Y, Allen, N, Casey, CM, DeCoursey, C, Drakos, NE, Egami, E, Faisst, AL, Gezari, S, Gozaliasl, G, Ilbert, O, Jones, DO, Karmen, M, Kartaltepe, JS, Koekemoer, AM, Lane, ZG, Larson, RL, Li, T, Liu, D, Moriya, TJ, McCracken, HJ, Paquereau, L, Quimby, RM, Rich, RM, Rhodes, J, Robertson, BE, Sanders, DB, Shahbandeh, M, Shuntov, M, Silverman, JD, Strolger, LG, Toft, S & Zenati, Y 2025, 'Testing for Intrinsic Type Ia Supernova Luminosity Evolution at z > 2 with JWST', Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 981, no. 1, adb1d9. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adb1d9

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title = "Testing for Intrinsic Type Ia Supernova Luminosity Evolution at z > 2 with JWST",

abstract = "The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is opening new frontiers of transient discovery and follow-up at high redshift. Here we present the discovery of a spectroscopically confirmed Type Ia supernova (SN Ia; SN 2023aeax) at z = 2.15 with JWST, including a NIRCam multiband light curve. SN 2023aeax lands at the edge of traditional low-z cosmology cuts because of its blue color (peak rest-frame B − V ∼ −0.3) but with a normal decline rate (Δm15(B) ∼ 1.25), and applying a fiducial standardization with the BayeSN model we find the SN 2023aeax luminosity distance is in ∼0.1σ agreement with ΛCDM. SN 2023aeax is only the second spectroscopically confirmed SN Ia in the dark matter–dominated Universe at z > 2 (the other is SN 2023adsy), giving it rare leverage to constrain any potential evolution in SN Ia standardized luminosities. Similar to SN 2023adsy (B − V ∼ 0.8), SN 2023aeax has a fairly extreme (but opposite) color, which may be due to the small sample size or a secondary factor, such as host galaxy properties. Nevertheless, the SN 2023aeax spectrum is well represented by normal low-z SN Ia spectra, and we find no definitive evolution in SN Ia standardization with redshift. Still, the first two spectroscopically confirmed z > 2 SNe Ia have peculiar colors and combine for a ∼1σ distance slope relative to ΛCDM, though in agreement with recent SN Ia cosmological measurements.",

keywords = "Cosmological evolution (336), Cosmology (343), Galaxy evolution (594), Type Ia supernovae (1728)",

author = "Pierel, \{J. D.R.\} and Coulter, \{D. A.\} and Siebert, \{M. R.\} and Akins, \{H. B.\} and M. Engesser and Fox, \{O. D.\} and M. Franco and A. Rest and A. Agrawal and Y. Ajay and N. Allen and Casey, \{C. M.\} and C. DeCoursey and Drakos, \{N. E.\} and E. Egami and Faisst, \{A. L.\} and S. Gezari and G. Gozaliasl and O. Ilbert and Jones, \{D. O.\} and M. Karmen and Kartaltepe, \{J. S.\} and Koekemoer, \{A. M.\} and Lane, \{Z. G.\} and Larson, \{R. L.\} and T. Li and D. Liu and Moriya, \{T. J.\} and McCracken, \{H. J.\} and L. Paquereau and Quimby, \{R. M.\} and Rich, \{R. M.\} and J. Rhodes and Robertson, \{B. E.\} and Sanders, \{D. B.\} and M. Shahbandeh and M. Shuntov and Silverman, \{J. D.\} and Strolger, \{L. G.\} and S. Toft and Y. Zenati",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025. The Author(s).",

year = "2025",

month = mar,

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doi = "10.3847/2041-8213/adb1d9",

language = "English (US)",

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T1 - Testing for Intrinsic Type Ia Supernova Luminosity Evolution at z > 2 with JWST

AU - Pierel, J. D.R.

AU - Coulter, D. A.

AU - Siebert, M. R.

AU - Akins, H. B.

AU - Engesser, M.

AU - Fox, O. D.

AU - Franco, M.

AU - Rest, A.

AU - Agrawal, A.

AU - Ajay, Y.

AU - Allen, N.

AU - Casey, C. M.

AU - DeCoursey, C.

AU - Drakos, N. E.

AU - Egami, E.

AU - Faisst, A. L.

AU - Gezari, S.

AU - Gozaliasl, G.

AU - Ilbert, O.

AU - Jones, D. O.

AU - Karmen, M.

AU - Kartaltepe, J. S.

AU - Koekemoer, A. M.

AU - Lane, Z. G.

AU - Larson, R. L.

AU - Li, T.

AU - Liu, D.

AU - Moriya, T. J.

AU - McCracken, H. J.

AU - Paquereau, L.

AU - Quimby, R. M.

AU - Rich, R. M.

AU - Rhodes, J.

AU - Robertson, B. E.

AU - Sanders, D. B.

AU - Shahbandeh, M.

AU - Shuntov, M.

AU - Silverman, J. D.

AU - Strolger, L. G.

AU - Toft, S.

AU - Zenati, Y.

PY - 2025/3/1

Y1 - 2025/3/1

N2 - The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is opening new frontiers of transient discovery and follow-up at high redshift. Here we present the discovery of a spectroscopically confirmed Type Ia supernova (SN Ia; SN 2023aeax) at z = 2.15 with JWST, including a NIRCam multiband light curve. SN 2023aeax lands at the edge of traditional low-z cosmology cuts because of its blue color (peak rest-frame B − V ∼ −0.3) but with a normal decline rate (Δm15(B) ∼ 1.25), and applying a fiducial standardization with the BayeSN model we find the SN 2023aeax luminosity distance is in ∼0.1σ agreement with ΛCDM. SN 2023aeax is only the second spectroscopically confirmed SN Ia in the dark matter–dominated Universe at z > 2 (the other is SN 2023adsy), giving it rare leverage to constrain any potential evolution in SN Ia standardized luminosities. Similar to SN 2023adsy (B − V ∼ 0.8), SN 2023aeax has a fairly extreme (but opposite) color, which may be due to the small sample size or a secondary factor, such as host galaxy properties. Nevertheless, the SN 2023aeax spectrum is well represented by normal low-z SN Ia spectra, and we find no definitive evolution in SN Ia standardization with redshift. Still, the first two spectroscopically confirmed z > 2 SNe Ia have peculiar colors and combine for a ∼1σ distance slope relative to ΛCDM, though in agreement with recent SN Ia cosmological measurements.

AB - The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is opening new frontiers of transient discovery and follow-up at high redshift. Here we present the discovery of a spectroscopically confirmed Type Ia supernova (SN Ia; SN 2023aeax) at z = 2.15 with JWST, including a NIRCam multiband light curve. SN 2023aeax lands at the edge of traditional low-z cosmology cuts because of its blue color (peak rest-frame B − V ∼ −0.3) but with a normal decline rate (Δm15(B) ∼ 1.25), and applying a fiducial standardization with the BayeSN model we find the SN 2023aeax luminosity distance is in ∼0.1σ agreement with ΛCDM. SN 2023aeax is only the second spectroscopically confirmed SN Ia in the dark matter–dominated Universe at z > 2 (the other is SN 2023adsy), giving it rare leverage to constrain any potential evolution in SN Ia standardized luminosities. Similar to SN 2023adsy (B − V ∼ 0.8), SN 2023aeax has a fairly extreme (but opposite) color, which may be due to the small sample size or a secondary factor, such as host galaxy properties. Nevertheless, the SN 2023aeax spectrum is well represented by normal low-z SN Ia spectra, and we find no definitive evolution in SN Ia standardization with redshift. Still, the first two spectroscopically confirmed z > 2 SNe Ia have peculiar colors and combine for a ∼1σ distance slope relative to ΛCDM, though in agreement with recent SN Ia cosmological measurements.

KW - Cosmological evolution (336)

KW - Cosmology (343)

KW - Galaxy evolution (594)

KW - Type Ia supernovae (1728)

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85218877904

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85218877904#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.3847/2041-8213/adb1d9

DO - 10.3847/2041-8213/adb1d9

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85218877904

SN - 2041-8205

VL - 981

JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

IS - 1

M1 - adb1d9

ER -

Testing for Intrinsic Type Ia Supernova Luminosity Evolution at z > 2 with JWST

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