Nebular Spectroscopy of the "Blue Bump" Type Ia Supernova 2017cbv
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2018. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. We present nebular phase optical and near-infrared spectroscopy of the Type Ia supernova (SN) 2017cbv. The early light curves of SN 2017cbv showed a prominent blue bump in the U, B, and g bands lasting for 5 days. One interpretation of the early light curve is that the excess blue light is due to shocking of the SN ejecta against a nondegenerate companion star - a signature of the single degenerate scenario. If this is the correct interpretation, the interaction between the SN ejecta and the companion star could result in significant H (or helium) emission at late times, possibly along with other species, depending on the companion star and its orbital separation. A search for H emission in our +302 d spectrum yields a nondetection, with a L H < 8.0 1035 erg s-1 (given an assumed distance of D = 12.3 Mpc), which we verified by implanting simulated H emission into our data. We make a quantitative comparison to models of swept-up material stripped from a nondegenerate companion star and limit the mass of hydrogen that might remain undetected to M H < 1 10-4 M o. A similar analysis of helium star related lines yields a M He < 5 10-4 M o. Taken at face value, these results argue against a nondegenerate H- or He-rich companion in Roche lobe overflow as the progenitor of SN 2017cbv. Alternatively, there could be weaknesses in the envelope-stripping and radiative transfer models necessary to interpret the strong H and He flux limits.
