The first radio view of a type Ibn supernova in SN 2023fyq: Understanding the mass-loss history in the last decade before the explosion

Abstract

Supernovae that interact with hydrogen-poor, helium-rich circumstellar material (CSM), known as Type Ibn supernovae (SNe Ibn), present a unique opportunity to probe mass-loss processes in massive stars. In this work, we report the first radio detection of a SN Ibn, SN 2023fyq, and characterize the mass-loss history of its stellar progenitor using the radio and X-ray observations obtained over 18 months post-explosion. We find that the radio emission from 58--185 days is best modeled by synchrotron radiation attenuated by free-free absorption from a CSM of density $\sim$ $10^{-18}$ g/$\rm{cm^{3}}$ ($\sim 10^{6} \mathrm{\rho_{ISM}}$) at a radius of $10^{16}$ cm, corresponding to a mass-loss rate of $\sim$ $4 \times 10^{-3} \ \mathrm{M_{\odot} \ yr^{-1}}$ (for a wind velocity of 1700 km/s from optical spectroscopy) from 0.7 to 3 years before the explosion. This timescale is consistent with the time frame over which pre-explosion optical outbursts were observed. However, our late-time observations at 525 days post-explosion yield non-detections, and the 3$\sigma$ upper limits (along with an X-ray non-detection) allow us to infer lower-density CSM at $2\times 10^{16}$ cm with $\rm{\dot{M}}$ $< 2.5\times 10^{-3} \ \mathrm{M_{\odot} \ yr^{-1}}$. These results suggest a shell-like CSM from at most $4 \times 10^{15}$ to $2 \times 10^{16}$ cm ($\sim 10^{5} R_{\rm{\odot}}$) with an elevated CSM density (0.004 $\mathrm{M_{\odot} \ yr^{-1}}$) that is roughly consistent with predictions from a merger model for this object. Future radio observations of a larger sample of SNe Ibn will provide key details on the extent and density of their helium-rich CSM.