Near- and Mid-IR Observations to Probe Dust Formation in the Remarkably Nearby Stripped-Envelope Supernova 2023dbc

This past week, one of the closest stripped-envelope supernovae (SESNe) was discovered. The Type Ic SN 2023dbc was reported in M108 at only ~10 Mpc, a once-in-a-decade event. A worldwide multi-wavelength campaign is already underway, but JWST may provide the most valuable insights. Heavily obscured (AV > 3 mag), the SN is already quite red, but more importantly, the proximity of the SN offers a unique opportunity to study details of dust formation, which is still an open question, particularly in the early Universe. While AGB stars are considered to be primary dust producers, the first dust in the local Universe may have formed before AGB stars had time to make it. SESNe come from the death of massive, shorter-lived stars, and are therefore one of the earliest possible sources of early Universe cosmic dust. Few SESNe have occured close enough to monitor dust formation from early- to late-times. In fact, simultaneous measurements of the fundamental and first overtone of CO, over multiple epochs, has only been achieved for SN 1987A. A SESN provides a dramatic contrast in ejecta composition from which to test theories of dust and molecule formation and destruction. Here we request 6.6 hr of DDT to obtain an NIR+MIR spectral time-series of SN 2023dbc at three key epochs between 30–350 days past-maximum luminosity to detect, characterize, and monitor the molecules and dust formed in SN 2023dbc. The observations will provide a legacy data set from which to model dust formation and uniquely probe the poorly constrained ejecta composition of SESNe.