SIMBAD references

E. Kankare and S. Mattila, Tuorla Observatory; S. Ryder, Anglo-Australian Observatory; M. A. Perez-Torres, C. Romero-Canizales, and A. Alberdi, Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, CSIC; A. Alonso-Herrero and L. Colina, Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, CSIC; A. Efstathiou, European University of Cyprus; J. Kotilainen, Finnish Centre for Astronomy, European Southern Observatory; and P. Vaisanen and Zara Randriamanakoto, South African Astronomical Observatory, report the discovery of an apparent supernova on near-infrared images of the luminous infrared galaxy IC 883 in the course of their infrared search program (cf. CBETs 1392, 1569, 2145). The new object, designated PSN K1002-1, was detected at a K-band magnitude of about 17.7 in eleven images (spatial resolution FWHM about 0".1) obtained using NIRI and the ALTAIR laser-guide-star adaptive-optics system on the Gemini-North Telescope on 2010 Feb. 24.6 UT, via comparison with images obtained with the same instrument on 2009 June 10.4. The new object is located 0".24 east and 0".29 south of the galaxy's K-band nucleus, at R.A = 13:20:35.36, Decl. = +34:08:22.2 (equinox 2000.0). Adopting a distance of 100 Mpc for IC 883 (z = 0.023299; Rothberg and Joseph 2006, A.J. 131, 185; and H_o = 70 km/s/Mpc), this corresponds to a projected distance of about 180 pc, which would make this the closest supernova discovered yet in a luminous infrared galaxy nucleus at infrared wavelengths. High spatial resolution follow-up observations at infrared and radio wavelengths are encouraged. The new source is measured to remain stationary with a precision of 0".02 in the eleven 30-s Gemini exposures (spatial resolution FWHM about 0".1), with the first and the last one separated by about 6 minutes. A variable foreground star also provides a very improbable alternative explanation, given the small field-of-view (22".5 x 22".5) of the Gemini frames and the fact no transient source has been detected in this galaxy in the authors' previous five epochs of Gemini imaging over a period of 22 months. Based on these arguments and the fact that large numbers of core-collapse supernovae are expected in the central few-hundred-parsec regions of luminous infrared galaxies as a result of the large star-formation rates therein, they conclude that explanations other than a supernova for this object are extremely unlikely.