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A growing number of supernovae (SNe) are now known to exhibit evidence for significant interaction with a dense, pre-existing, circumstellar medium (CSM). SNe Ibn comprise one such class that can be characterized by both rapidly evolving light curves and persistent narrow He  i lines. The origin of such a dense CSM in these systems remains a pressing question, specifically concerning the progenitor system and mass-loss mechanism. In this paper, we present multiwavelength data of the Type Ibn SN 2020nxt, including HST /STIS ultraviolet spectra. We fit the data with recently updated CMFGEN models designed to handle configurations for SNe Ibn. The UV coverage yields strong constraints on the energetics and, when combined with the CMFGEN models, offer new insight on potential progenitor systems. We find the most successful model is a ≲4 M⊙ helium star that lost its |$\sim 1\, {\rm M}_\odot$| He-rich envelope in the years preceding core collapse. We also consider viable alternatives, such as a He white dwarf merger. Ultimately, we conclude at least some SNe Ibn do not arise from single, massive (>30 M⊙) Wolf–Rayet-like stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photometric redshifts are used to determine the rest-frame luminosity function (LF) of both early- and late-type galaxies to M ∼ -17.6 for the cluster C1 1601+42 at z = 0.54. The total LF shows a steep faint-end slope α ∼ -1.4, indicating the existence of a population of numerous dwarf galaxies. Luminous galaxies, with M ≤-19.5 are mostly red, early-type galaxies, with a LF best described by a Gaussian. Faint galaxies are predominantly blue, late-type galaxies, well fitted by a Schechter function with α ∼ -1.7. Compared with clusters at lower redshift, the steepening of the faint end starts at brighter magnitudes for C1 1601+42, which may indicate a brightening of the present-day dwarf population relative to the giant population with increasing redshift. Early-type galaxies are centrally concentrated, and dominate the core region, implying that the radial gradient of early-type galaxies seen in local clusters is already established at z ∼ 0.5. Bright, late-type galaxies are rare, consistent with a decrease in star formation in field galaxies as they are accreted on to the cluster, while faint, blue galaxies are evenly distributed across the cluster, except for a depletion in the core region. The blue fraction is f ∼ 0.15, which is somewhat lower than the Butcher -- Oemler average at z ∼ 0.5. The value of is found to increase with limiting magnitude and with radius from the centre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]