Program: GN-2016B-FT-28

The latest unbiased optical time-domain surveys have led to the discovery of rare and extreme transients such as superluminous supernovae (SLSNe). The mechanism that powers the hydrogen-poor Type I SLSNe remains elusive, though models such a magnetar central engine and interaction with a hydrogen-poor medium are both major contenders. One of the most promising observational methods available to test these models is to track the SN evolution into the nebular phase, when the ejecta are optically thin. We propose to use Gemini to obtain a deep optical spectrum during the nebular phase of PS16aqv, a fast timescale Type I SLSNe discovered as part of our search for low redshift SLSNe with Pan-STARRS. This would be the first nebular phase spectrum of a fast timescale event, critical for carrying out a comparison with our recent Gemini spectrum of the well-studied slow timescale event SN2015bn. Obtaining a nebular phase spectrum of PS16aqv will allow us to understand its composition and measure critical physical parameters such as temperature, density, and mass.