arXiv subjects

C. P. Gutierrez

Publications and source records attributed to C. P. Gutierrez.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Probing a new subclass of llGRB-SN transients: Insights from EP250304a and its associated supernova

With the advent of the Einstein Probe (EP) mission, we are entering a new era in the study of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), enabling the detection of faint, low-luminosity transients that would previously have gone undetected. EP250304a was an event discovered by EP associated with the broad-lined type Ic supernova (SN) SN 2025fhm located at z = 0.2. Despite no gamma-ray emission being detected at the time of the EP trigger, we identify evidence for a relativistic outflow consistent with a GRB-like jet across multiple wavelengths. We present a detailed spectral and photometric analysis of EP250304a/SN 2025fhm, including multi-band light curve modelling performed with the Redback Python package. We find that this event closely resembles low-luminosity GRB-SNe (llGRB-SNe) such as GRB 060218/SN 2006aj, GRB 100316D/SN 2010bh, and GRB 171205A/SN 2017iuk, all of which exhibit early-time emission consistent with a thermal shocked cocoon. These similarities suggest that EP250304A/SN 2025fhm may belong to an emerging subclass of shocked cocoon-dominated llGRB-SNe, representing the low-luminosity end of a broader continuum of engine-driven GRB-SN explosions.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

SN 2018bsz: significant dust formation in a nearby superluminous supernova

We investigate the thermal emission and the extinction from dust associated with the nearby (z = 0.0267) superluminous supernova (SLSN) 2018bsz. Our dataset combines daily-cadence, simultaneous optical and near-infrared coverage up to ~100 days with late-time (+1.7 yr) mid-infrared observations. At 230 days after light-curve peak, the SN is not detected in the optical, but shows a surprisingly strong near-infrared excess, with r - J > 3 mag and r - Ks > 5 mag. The temporal evolution of the infrared light curve allows us to assess whether the mid-infrared emission originates from newly formed dust, either in the SN ejecta or in a post-shock circumstellar shell, or instead from an infrared echo produced by pre-existing circumstellar or interstellar dust heated by the SN radiation. Our radiative-transfer modelling shows that the circumstellar and interstellar echo scenarios cannot simultaneously reproduce the observed infrared luminosity and its temporal evolution, and we therefore disfavour these interpretations. In contrast, a scenario in which new dust forms in the SN ejecta at epochs >200 days provides a self-consistent explanation for the evolution of the SN flux. We can fit the spectral energy distribution well at +230 d with 5x10^-4 solar masses of carbon dust, increasing over the following several hundred days to 10^-2 solar masses by +535 d. SN 2018bsz is the first SLSN showing evidence for dust formation within the SN ejecta, and appears to form ten times more dust than normal core-collapse SNe at similar epochs. Together with their preference for low-mass, low-metallicity host galaxies, we suggest that SLSNe may be a significant contributor to dust formation in the early Universe.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Long-term evolution of the SN 2009ip-like transient SN 2016cvk

The interacting transient SN 2016cvk (ASASSN-16jt) is a member of the peculiar SN 2009ip-like events. We present our follow-up data and aim to draw conclusions about the physical nature of the progenitor system. Our spectrophotometric data set of SN 2016cvk covers the ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared wavelength region extending to +1681 d from the light curve peak; the data is analysed and compared to other SN 2009ip-like transients. Archival data reveals pre-outbursts of the progenitor with the first detection at -1219 d. The light curve evolution of SN 2016cvk consists of two consecutive luminous events A and B with peak magnitudes of M_V < -15.6 and M_r = -18.3 mag, respectively. The spectra are dominated by Balmer emission lines that have a complex, multi-component evolution similar to other SN 2009ip-like targets. SN 2016cvk is among the first detected SN 2009ip-like events that show early `flash ionisation' features of C III, N III, and He II, lasting for 16 +/- 5 d. Our late-time +405 d spectrum shows forbidden [Ca II], [Fe II], and [O I] features with the latter detected particularly clearly for a SN 2009ip-like event. The evolution of SN 2016cvk is similar to other SN 2009ip-like transients, with some uncommon traits. The lack of a double-peaked structure in the Balmer lines is likely caused by differences in the circumstellar medium structure or viewing angle. The flash features in the early spectra propose abundances consistent with a red, yellow, or blue supergiant progenitor rather than for example a luminous blue variable. The detection of [O I] in the +405 d spectrum suggests possible evidence of nucleosynthesised material generated in a SN explosion.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

A long-lasting eruption heralds SN 2023ldh, a clone of SN 2009ip

We discuss the results of the spectroscopic and photometric monitoring of the type IIn supernova (SN) 2023ldh. Survey archive data show that the SN progenitor experienced some erratic outbursts in the years before exploding. From May 2023, the source shows a general slow luminosity rise lasting over four months with some superposed luminosity fluctuations. In analogy to SN 2009ip, we label this brightening as Event A. During Event A, SN 2023ldh reaches a maximum absolute magnitude of Mr = -15.52 +- 0.24 mag. Then the light curves show a luminosity decline of about 1 mag in all filters lasting about two weeks, followed by a steep brightening (Event B) to an absolute peak magnitude of Mr = -18.53 +- 0.23 mag, replicating the evolution of SN 2009ip and similar SNe IIn. Three spectra of SN 2023ldh are obtained during Event A, showing multi-component P Cygni profiles of H I and Fe II lines. During the rise to the Event B peak, the spectrum shows a blue continuum dominated by Balmer lines in emission with Lorentzian profiles, with a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) velocity of about 650 km/s. Later, in the post-peak phase, the spectrum reddens, and broader wings appear in the Halpha line profile. Metal lines are well visible with P Cygni profiles and velocities of about 2000 km/s. Beginning around three months past maximum and until very late phases, the Ca II lines become among the most prominent features, while Halpha is dominated by an intermediate-width component with a boxy profile. Although SN 2023ldh mimics the evolution of other SN 2009ip-like transients, it is slightly more luminous and has a slower photometric evolution. The surprisingly homogeneous observational properties of SN 2009ip-like events may indicate similar explosion scenarios and similar progenitor parameters.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

SN 2024abfo: a partially stripped SN II from a yellow supergiant

We present photometric and spectroscopic data of the type IIb supernova (SN) 2024abfo in NGC 1493 (at 11 Mpc). The ATLAS survey discovered the object just a few hours after the explosion, and observed a fast rise on the first day. Signs of the sharp shock break-out peak and the subsequent cooling phase are observed in the ultraviolet and the bluest optical bands in the first couple of days, while no peak is visible in the reddest filters. Subsequently, in analogy with normal SNe IIb, the light curve of SN 2024abfo rises again in all bands to the broad peak, with the maximum light reached around one month after the explosion. Its absolute magnitude at peak is $M_r=-16.5\pm0.1$ mag, making it a faint SN IIb. The early spectra are dominated by Balmer lines with broad P-Cygni profiles indicating ejecta velocity of 22,500 km/s. One month after the explosion, the spectra display a transition towards being He-dominated, though the H lines do not completely disappear, supporting the classification of SN 2024abfo as a relatively H-rich SN IIb. We identify the progenitor of SN 2024abfo in archival images of the Hubble Space Telescope, the Dark Energy Survey, and the XMM-Newton space telescope, in multiple optical filters. From its spectral energy distribution, the progenitor is consistent with being a yellow supergiant, having an initial mass of 15 $M_{\odot}$. This detection supports an emerging trend of SN IIb progenitors being more luminous and hotter than SN II ones, and being primaries of massive binaries. Within the SN IIb class, fainter events such as SN 2024abfo tend to have cooler and more expanded progenitors than luminous SNe IIb.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Optical and near-infrared photometry of 94 type II supernovae from the Carnegie Supernova Project

Type II supernovae (SNeII) mark the endpoint in the lives of hydrogen-rich massive stars. Their large explosion energies and luminosities allow us to measure distances, metallicities, and star formation rates into the distant Universe. To fully exploit their use in answering different astrophysical problems, high-quality low-redshift data sets are required. Such samples are vital to understand the physics of SNeII, but also to serve as calibrators for distinct - and often lower-quality - samples. We present uBgVri optical and YJH near-infrared (NIR) photometry for 94 low-redshift SNeII observed by the Carnegie Supernova Project (CSP). A total of 9817 optical and 1872 NIR photometric data points are released, leading to a sample of high-quality SNII light curves during the first ~150 days post explosion on a well-calibrated photometric system. The sample is presented and its properties are analysed and discussed through comparison to literature events. We also focus on individual SNeII as examples of classically defined subtypes and outlier objects. Making a cut in the plateau decline rate of our sample (s2), a new subsample of fast-declining SNeII is presented. The sample has a median redshift of 0.015, with the nearest event at 0.001 and the most distant at 0.07. At optical wavelengths (V), the sample has a median cadence of 4.7 days over the course of a median coverage of 80 days. In the NIR (J), the median cadence is 7.2 days over the course of 59 days. The fast-declining subsample is more luminous than the full sample and shows shorter plateau phases. Of the non-standard SNeII highlighted, SN2009A particularly stands out with a steeply declining then rising light curve, together with what appears to be two superimposed P-Cygni profiles of H-alpha in its spectra. We outline the significant utility of these data, and finally provide an outlook of future SNII science.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2024

The aspherical explosions of the 03fg-like Type Ia supernovae 2021zny and 2022ilv revealed by polarimetry

A peculiar subtype of Type Ia supernovae (SNe), 03fg-like (super-Chandrasekhar) SNe, show different observational properties from prototypical Type Ia SNe, typically having high luminosity at the light-curve peak, low expansion velocities, and strong carbon features. The origin of this class of Type Ia SNe has been actively debated. Recent nebular-phase infrared observations of the 03fg-like Type Ia SN 2022pul using the James Webb Space Telescope revealed large-scale asymmetries in the ejecta and the presence of the strong [Ne II] line at 12.81 $μ$m, suggesting a violent merger of two white dwarfs as its origin. Polarimetry is another powerful tool to study overall ejecta asymmetries of spatially-unresolved SNe. Here, we aim to check the universality of the violent merger scenario as the origin of the 03fg-like Type Ia SNe, by studying their explosion geometries using polarimetry. In this letter, we present imaging-polarimetric observations of the two 03fg-like Type Ia SNe 2021zny and 2022ilv. SNe 2021zny and 2022ilv show high intrinsic polarization ($\sim1$ % -$\sim2$ %), which might be composed of multiple components with different polarization angles. This indicates that they have complex aspherical structures in their ejecta, supporting the violent merger scenario for their origin. Our observations provide the first clear evidence from polarimetry for such aspherical structures.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Evidence for bipolar explosions in Type IIP supernovae

Recent observations of core-collapse supernovae (SNe) suggest aspherical explosions. Globally aspherical structures in SN explosions are regarded as the key for understanding their explosion mechanism. However, the exact explosion geometries from the inner cores to the outer envelopes are poorly understood. Here, we present photometric, spectroscopic and polarimetric observations of the Type IIP SN 2021yja and discuss its explosion geometry, in comparison to those of other Type IIP SNe that show large-scale aspherical structures in their hydrogen envelopes (SNe 2012aw, 2013ej and 2017gmr). During the plateau phase, SNe 2012aw and 2021yja exhibit high continuum polarization characterized by two components with perpendicular polarization angles. This behavior can be interpreted to be due to a bipolar explosion, composed of a polar (energetic) and an equatorial (bulk) components of the SN ejecta. In such a bipolar explosion, an aspherical axis created by the polar ejecta would be dominating at early phases, while the perpendicular axis along the equatorial ejecta would emerge at late phases after the receding of the photosphere in the polar ejecta. The interpretation of the bipolar explosions in SNe 2012aw and 2021yja is also supported by other observational properties, including the time evolution of the line velocities and the line shapes in the nebular spectra. The polarization of other Type IIP SNe that show large-scale aspherical structures in the hydrogen envelope (SNe 2013ej and 2017gmr) is also consistent with the bipolar-explosion scenario, although this is not conclusive.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

The Carnegie Supernova Project-I. Spectroscopic analysis of stripped-envelope supernovae

An analysis leveraging 170 optical spectra of 35 stripped-envelope (SE) core-collapse supernovae observed by the Carnegie Supernova Project-I and published in a companion paper is presented. Mean template spectra are constructed for the SNe IIb, Ib and Ic sub-types and parent ions associated with designated spectral features are identified with the aid of the spectral synthesis code SYNAPPS. Our modeled mean spectra suggest the ~6150~Å feature in SNe~IIb may have an underlying contribution due to silicon, while the same feature in some SNe Ib may have an underlying contribution due to hydrogen. Standard spectral line diagnostics consisting of pseudo-equivalent widths (pEW) and blue-shifted Doppler velocity are measured for each of the spectral features. Correlation matrices and rolling mean values of both spectral diagnostics are constructed. A Principle Component Analysis (PCA) is applied to various wavelength ranges of the entire data set and suggests clear separation among the different SE SN sub-types, which follows from trends previously identified in the literature. In addition, our finds reveal the presence of two SNe IIb sub-types, a handful of SNe Ib displaying signatures of weak, high-velocity hydrogen, and a single SN~Ic with evidence of weak helium features. Our PCA results can be leveraged to obtain robust sub-typing of SE SN based on a single spectrum taken during the so-called photospheric phase, separating SNe IIb from SNe Ib with ~80 percent completion.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

The broad-lined Type-Ic supernova SN 2022xxf with extraordinary two-humped light curves

We report on our study of supernova (SN) 2022xxf based on observations obtained during the first four months of its evolution. The light curves (LCs) display two humps of similar maximum brightness separated by 75 days, unprecedented for a broad-lined (BL) Type Ic supernova (SN IcBL). SN 2022xxf is the most nearby SN IcBL to date (in NGC 3705, $z = 0.0037$, at a distance of about 20 Mpc). Optical and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy are used to identify the energy source powering the LC. Nearly 50 epochs of high signal-to-noise-ratio spectroscopy were obtained within 130 days, comprising an unparalleled dataset for a SN IcBL, and one of the best-sampled SN datasets to date. The global spectral appearance and evolution of SN 2022xxf points to typical SN Ic/IcBL, with broad features (up to $\sim14000$ km s$^{-1}$) and a gradual transition from the photospheric to the nebular phase. However, narrow emission lines (corresponding to $\sim1000-2500$ km s$^{-1}$) are present in the spectra from the time of the second rise, suggesting slower-moving circumstellar material (CSM). These lines are subtle, in comparison to the typical strong narrow lines of CSM-interacting SNe, for example, Type IIn, Ibn, and Icn, but some are readily noticeable at late times such as in Mg I $λ$5170 and [O I] $λ$5577. Unusually, the near-infrared spectra show narrow line peaks in a number of features formed by ions of O and Mg. We infer the presence of CSM that is free of H and He. We propose that the radiative energy from the ejecta-CSM interaction is a plausible explanation for the second LC hump. This interaction scenario is supported by the color evolution, which progresses to the blue as the light curve evolves along the second hump, and the slow second rise and subsequent rapid LC drop. (Abstract abridged)

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Late-time H/He-poor circumstellar interaction in the type-Ic supernova SN 2021ocs: an exposed oxygen-magnesium layer and extreme stripping of the progenitor

Supernova (SN) 2021ocs was discovered in the galaxy NGC 7828 ($z = 0.01911$) within the interacting system Arp 144, and subsequently classified as a normal type-Ic SN around peak brightness. VLT/FORS2 observations in the nebular phase at 148 d reveal that the spectrum is dominated by oxygen and magnesium emission lines of different transitions and ionization states: O I, [O I], [O II], [O III], Mg I, and Mg II. Such a spectrum has no counterpart in the literature, though it bears a few features similar to those of some interacting type Ibn and Icn SNe. Additionally, SN 2021ocs showed a blue color, $(g-r) \lesssim -0.5$ mag, after the peak and up to late phases, atypical for a type-Ic SN. Together with the nebular spectrum, this suggests that SN 2021ocs underwent late-time interaction with an H/He-poor circumstellar medium (CSM), resulting from the pre-SN progenitor mass loss during its final $\sim$1000 days. The strong O and Mg lines and the absence of strong C and He lines suggest that the progenitor star's O-Mg layer is exposed, which places SN 2021ocs as the most extreme case of massive progenitor star's envelope stripping in interacting SNe, followed by type-Icn (stripped C-O layer) and Ibn (stripped He-rich layer) SNe. This is the first time such a case is reported in the literature. SN 2021ocs emphasizes the importance of late-time spectroscopy of SNe, even for those classified as normal events, to reveal the inner ejecta and progenitor star's CSM and mass loss.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

Panchromatic evolution of three luminous red novae: Forbidden hugs in pandemic times -- IV

We present photometric and spectroscopic data on three extragalactic luminous red novae (LRNe): AT2018bwo, AT2021afy, and AT2021blu. AT2018bwo was discovered in NGC45 (at 6.8 Mpc) a few weeks after the outburst onset. During the monitoring period, the transient reached a peak luminosity of 10^40 erg/s. AT2021afy, hosted by UGC10043 (49.2 Mpc), showed a double-peaked light curve, with the two peaks reaching a similar luminosity of 2.1(+-0.6)x10^41 erg/s. For AT2021blu in UGC5829, (8.6 Mpc), the pre-outburst phase was well-monitored by several photometric surveys, and the object showed a slow luminosity rise before the outburst. The light curve of AT2021blu was sampled with an unprecedented cadence until the object disappeared behind the Sun, and it was then recovered at late phases. The light curve of AT2021blu shows a double peak, with a prominent early maximum reaching a luminosity of 6.5x10^40 erg/s, which is half of that of AT2021afy. The spectra of AT2021afy and AT2021blu display the expected evolution for LRNe: a blue continuum dominated by prominent Balmer lines in emission during the first peak, and a redder continuum consistent with that of a K-type star with narrow absorption metal lines during the second, broad maximum. The spectra of AT2018bwo are markedly different, with a very red continuum dominated by broad molecular features in absorption. As these spectra closely resemble those of LRNe after the second peak, AT2018bwo was probably discovered at the very late evolutionary stages. This would explain its fast evolution and the spectral properties compatible with that of an M-type star. From the analysis of deep frames of the LRN sites years before the outburst, and considerations of the light curves, the quiescent progenitor systems of the three LRNe were likely massive, with primaries ranging from 13Mo for AT2018bwo, to 13-18Mo for AT2021blu, and over 40Mo for AT2021afy.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

SN 2021foa, a transitional event between a Type IIn (SN 2009ip-like) and a Type Ibn supernova

We present photometric and spectroscopic data of the unusual interacting supernova (SN) 2021foa. It rose to an absolute magnitude peak of $M_r=-18$ mag in 20 days. The initial light curve decline shows some luminosity fluctuations before a long-lasting flattening. A faint source ($M_r\sim -14$ mag) was detected in the weeks preceding the main event, showing a slow-rising luminosity trend. The $r$-band absolute light curve is very similar to those of SN 2009ip-like events, with a faint and shorter duration brightening (`Event A') followed by a much brighter peak (`Event B'). The early spectra of SN 2021foa show a blue continuum with narrow ($v_{FWHM}\sim$400 km s$^{-1}$) H emission lines, that, two weeks later, reveal a complex profile, with a narrow P Cygni on top of an intermediate-width ($v_{FWHM}\sim$2700 km s$^{-1}$) component. At +12 days metal lines in emission appear, while \Hei lines become very strong, with \Hei~$λ$5876 reaching half of the \Ha luminosity, much higher than in previous SN 2009ip-like objects. We propose SN 2021foa to be a transitional event between the H-rich SN 2009ip-like SNe and the He-rich Type Ibn SNe.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2019

Carnegie Supernova Project-II: Near-infrared Spectroscopic Diversity of Type II Supernovae

We present $81$ near-infrared (NIR) spectra of $30$ Type II supernovae (SNe II) from the Carnegie Supernova Project-II (CSP-II), the largest such dataset published to date. We identify a number of NIR features and characterize their evolution over time. The NIR spectroscopic properties of SNe II fall into two distinct groups. This classification is first based on the strength of the He I $\lambda1.083\,μ$m absorption during the plateau phase; SNe II are either significantly above (spectroscopically strong) or below $50$ angstroms (spectroscopically weak) in pseudo equivalent width. However between the two groups, other properties, such as the timing of CO formation and the presence of Sr II, are also observed. Most surprisingly, the distinct weak and strong NIR spectroscopic classes correspond to SNe II with slow and fast declining light curves, respectively. These two photometric groups match the modern nomenclature of SNe IIP and IIL. Including NIR spectra previously published, 18 out of 19 SNe II follow this slow declining-spectroscopically weak and fast declining-spectroscopically strong correspondence. This is in apparent contradiction to the recent findings in the optical that slow and fast decliners show a continuous distribution of properties. The weak SNe II show a high-velocity component of helium that may be caused by a thermal excitation from a reverse-shock created by the outer ejecta interacting with the red supergiant wind, but the origin of the observed dichotomy is not understood. Further studies are crucial in determining whether the apparent differences in the NIR are due to distinct physical processes or a gap in the current data set.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

A statistical approach to identify superluminous supernovae and probe their diversity

We investigate the identification of hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae (SLSNe I) using a photometric analysis, without including an arbitrary magnitude threshold. We assemble a homogeneous sample of previously classified SLSNe I from the literature, and fit their light curves using Gaussian processes. From the fits, we identify four photometric parameters that have a high statistical significance when correlated, and combine them in a parameter space that conveys information on their luminosity and color evolution. This parameter space presents a new definition for SLSNe I, which can be used to analyse existing and future transient datasets. We find that 90% of previously classified SLSNe I meet our new definition. We also examine the evidence for two subclasses of SLSNe I, combining their photometric evolution with spectroscopic information, namely the photospheric velocity and its gradient. A cluster analysis reveals the presence of two distinct groups. `Fast' SLSNe show fast light curves and color evolution, large velocities, and a large velocity gradient. `Slow' SLSNe show slow light curve and color evolution, small expansion velocities, and an almost non-existent velocity gradient. Finally, we discuss the impact of our analyses in the understanding of the powering engine of SLSNe, and their implementation as cosmological probes in current and future surveys.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

SNe 2013K and 2013am: observed and physical properties of two slow, normal Type IIP events

We present one year of optical and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy of the Type IIP SNe 2013K and 2013am. Both objects are affected by significant extinction, due to their location in dusty regions of their respective host galaxies, ESO 009-10 and NGC 3623 (M65). From the photospheric to nebular phases, these objects display spectra congruent with those of underluminous Type IIP SNe (i.e. the archetypal SNe 1997D or 2005cs), showing low photospheric velocities (~2 X 10**3 km/s at 50d) together with features arising from Ba II which are particularly prominent in faint SNe IIP. The peak V-band magnitudes of SN 2013K (-15.6 mag) and SN 2013am (-16.2 mag) are fainter than standard-luminosity Type IIP SNe. The ejected Nickel masses are 0.012+-0.010 and 0.015+-0.006 Msol for SN 2013K and SN 2013am, respectively. The physical properties of the progenitors at the time of explosion are derived through hydrodynamical modelling. Fitting the bolometric curves, the expansion velocity and the temperature evolution, we infer total ejected masses of 12 and 11.5 Msol, pre-SN radii of ~460 and ~360 Rsol, and explosion energies of 0.34 foe and 0.40 foe for SN 2013K and SN 2013am. Late time spectra are used to estimate the progenitor masses from the strength of nebular emission lines, which turn out to be consistent with red supergiant progenitors of ~15 Msol. For both SNe, a low-energy explosion of a moderate-mass red supergiant star is therefore the favoured scenario.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

Studying the Ultraviolet Spectrum of the First Spectroscopically Confirmed Supernova at redshift two

We present observations of DES16C2nm, the first spectroscopically confirmed hydrogen-free superluminous supernova (SLSN-I) at redshift z~2. DES16C2nm was discovered by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Supernova Program, with follow-up photometric data from the Hubble Space Telescope, Gemini, and the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope supplementing the DES data. Spectroscopic observations confirm DES16C2nm to be at z=1.998, and spectroscopically similar to Gaia16apd (a SLSN-I at z=0.102), with a peak absolute magnitude of U=-22.26$\pm$0.06. The high redshift of DES16C2nm provides a unique opportunity to study the ultraviolet (UV) properties of SLSNe-I. Combining DES16C2nm with ten similar events from the literature, we show that there exists a homogeneous class of SLSNe-I in the UV (~2500A), with peak luminosities in the (rest-frame) U band, and increasing absorption to shorter wavelengths. There is no evidence that the mean photometric and spectroscopic properties of SLSNe-I differ between low (z<1) and high redshift (z>1), but there is clear evidence of diversity in the spectrum at <2000A, possibly caused by the variations in temperature between events. No significant correlations are observed between spectral line velocities and photometric luminosity. Using these data, we estimate that SLSNe-I can be discovered to z=3.8 by DES. While SLSNe-I are typically identified from their blue observed colors at low redshift (z<1), we highlight that at z>2 these events appear optically red, peaking in the observer-frame z-band. Such characteristics are critical to identify these objects with future facilities such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, Euclid, and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope, which should detect such SLSNe-I to z=3.5, 3.7, and 6.6, respectively.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

On the nature of Hydrogen-rich Superluminous Supernovae

We present two hydrogen-rich superluminous supernovae (SLSNe), namely SN2013hx and PS15br. These objects, together with SN2008es are the only SLSNe showing a distinct, broad Halpha feature during the photospheric phase and also do not show any sign of strong interaction between fast-moving ejecta and circumstellar shells in their early spectra. Despite PS15br peak luminosity is fainter than the other two objects, the spectrophotometric evolution is similar to SN2013hx and different than any other supernova in a similar luminosity space. We group all of them as SLSNe II and hence distinct from the known class of SLSN IIn. Both transients show a strong, multi-component Halpha emission after 200 days past maximum which we interpret as an indication of interaction of the ejecta with an asymmetric, clumpy circumstellar material. The spectra and photometric evolution of the two objects are similar to type II supernovae, although they have much higher luminosity and evolve on slower timescales. This is qualitatively similar to how SLSNe I compare with normal type Ic in that the former are brighter and evolve more slowly. We apply a magnetar and an interaction semi-analytical codes to fit the light curves of our two objects and SN2008es. The overall observational dataset would tend to favour the magnetar, or central engine, model as the source of the peak luminosity although the clear signature of late-time interaction indicates that interaction can play a role in the luminosity evolution of SLSNe II at some phases.

astro-ph.HE↗