A comprehensive optical search for pre-explosion outbursts from the quiescent progenitor of SN~2023ixf

Understand

We perform a comprehensive search for optical precursor emission at the position of SN~2023ixf using data from the DLT40, ZTF and ATLAS surveys.

• By comparing the current data set with precursor outburst hydrodynamical model light curves, we find that the probability of a significant outburst within five years of explosion is low, and the circumstellar material (CSM) ejected during any possible precursor outburst is likely smaller than $\sim$0.015\msun.
• By comparing to a set of toy models, we find that, if there was a precursor outburst, the duration must have been shorter than $\sim$100 days for a typical brightness of $M_{r}\simeq-9$ mag or shorter than 200 days for $M_{r}\simeq-8$ mag; brighter, longer outbursts would have been discovered.
• Precursor activity like that observed in the normal type II SN~2020tlf ($M_{r}\simeq-11.5$) can be excluded in SN~2023ixf.