Abstract
The luminosity gap between novae (M_R ≤ − 10) and supernovae (M_R ≥ − 14) has been well known since the pioneering research of Zwicky and Hubble. Nearby galaxy clusters and concentrations offer an excellent opportunity to search for explosions brighter than classical novae and fainter than supernovae. Here we present the results of a B-band survey of 23 member galaxies of the Fornax Cluster, performed at the Las Campanas 2.5 m Irenee du Pont telescope. Observations with a cadence of 32 minutes discovered no genuine fast transient to a limiting absolute magnitude of M_B = − 9.3 mag. We provide a detailed assessment of the transient detection efficiency and the resulting upper limits on the event rate as function of peak magnitude. Further, we discuss the discoveries of five previously unknown foreground variables which we identified as two flare stars, two W UMa-type eclipsing binaries and a candidate δ Scuti/SX Phe star.
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