The dwarf starburst host galaxy of a type Ia supernova at z = 1.55 from candels

Abstract

We present VLT/X-shooter observations of a high-redshift, Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) host galaxy, discovered with HST/WFC3 as part of the CANDELS Supernova project. The galaxy exhibits strong emission lines of Lyα, [O II], Hβ, [O III], and Hα at z = 1.54992+0.00008-0.00004. From the emission-line fluxes and spectral energy distribution fitting of broadband photometry we rule out activity from an active galactic nucleus and characterize the host galaxy as a young, low-mass, metal-poor, starburst galaxy with low intrinsic extinction and high Lyα escape fraction. The host galaxy stands out in terms of the star formation, stellar mass, and metallicity compared to its lower redshift counterparts, mainly because of its high specific star formation rate. If valid for a larger sample of high-redshift SN Ia host galaxies, such changes in the host galaxy properties with redshift are of interest because of the potential impact on the use of SN Ia as standard candles in cosmology. © 2012. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..