arXiv subjects

Nathan Smith

Publications and source records attributed to Nathan Smith.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

Type IIb Supernova SN 2011dh: Spectra and Photometry from the Ultraviolet to the Near-Infrared

We report spectroscopic and photometric observations of the Type IIb SN 2011dh obtained between 4 and 34 days after the estimated date of explosion (May 31.5 UT). The data cover a wide wavelength range from 2,000 Angstroms in the UV to 2.4 microns in the NIR. Optical spectra provide line profiles and velocity measurements of HI, HeI, CaII and FeII that trace the composition and kinematics of the SN. NIR spectra show that helium is present in the atmosphere as early as 11 days after the explosion. A UV spectrum obtained with the STIS reveals that the UV flux for SN 2011dh is low compared to other SN IIb. The HI and HeI velocities in SN 2011dh are separated by about 4,000 km/s at all phases. We estimate that the H-shell of SN 2011dh is about 8 times less massive than the shell of SN 1993J and about 3 times more massive than the shell of SN 2008ax. Light curves (LC) for twelve passbands are presented. The maximum bolometric luminosity of $1.8 \pm 0.2 \times 10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$ occurred about 22 days after the explosion. NIR emission provides more than 30% of the total bolometric flux at the beginning of our observations and increases to nearly 50% of the total by day 34. The UV produces 16% of the total flux on day 4, 5% on day 9 and 1% on day 34. We compare the bolometric light curves of SN 2011dh, SN 2008ax and SN 1993J. The LC are very different for the first twelve days after the explosions but all three SN IIb display similar peak luminosities, times of peak, decline rates and colors after maximum. This suggests that the progenitors of these SN IIb may have had similar compositions and masses but they exploded inside hydrogen shells that that have a wide range of masses. The detailed observations presented here will help evaluate theoretical models for this supernova and lead to a better understanding of SN IIb.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

The Type IIb Supernova 2013df and Its Cool Supergiant Progenitor

We have obtained early-time photometry and spectroscopy of Supernova (SN) 2013df in NGC 4414. The SN is clearly of Type IIb, with notable similarities to SN 1993J. From its luminosity at secondary maximum light, it appears that less $^{56}$Ni ($\lesssim 0.06\ M_{\odot}$) was synthesized in the SN 2013df explosion than was the case for the SNe IIb 1993J, 2008ax, and 2011dh. Based on a comparison of the light curves, the SN 2013df progenitor must have been more extended in radius prior to explosion than the progenitor of SN 1993J. The total extinction for SN 2013df is estimated to be $A_V=0.30$ mag. The metallicity at the SN location is likely to be solar. We have conducted Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Target of Opportunity observations of the SN with the Wide Field Camera 3, and from a precise comparison of these new observations to archival HST observations of the host galaxy obtained 14 years prior to explosion, we have identified the progenitor of SN 2013df to be a yellow supergiant, somewhat hotter than a red supergiant progenitor for a normal Type II-Plateau SN. From its observed spectral energy distribution, assuming that the light is dominated by one star, the progenitor had effective temperature $T_{\rm eff} = 4250 \pm 100$ K and a bolometric luminosity $L_{\rm bol}=10^{4.94 \pm 0.06}\ L_{\odot}$. This leads to an effective radius $R_{\rm eff} = 545 \pm 65\ R_{\odot}$. The star likely had an initial mass in the range of 13 to 17 $M_{\odot}$; however, if it was a member of an interacting binary system, detailed modeling of the system is required to estimate this mass more accurately. The progenitor star of SN 2013df appears to have been relatively similar to the progenitor of SN 1993J.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

SN 2009ip and SN 2010mc: Core-collapse Type IIn supernovae arising from blue supergiants

The recent supernova (SN) known as SN 2009ip had dramatic precursor eruptions followed by an even brighter explosion in 2012. Its pre-2012 observations make it the best documented SN progenitor in history, but have fueled debate about the nature of its 2012 explosion --- whether it was a true SN or some type of violent non-terminal event. Both could power shock interaction with circumstellar material (CSM), but only a core-collapse SN provides a self-consistent explanation. The persistent broad emission lines in the spectrum require a relatively large ejecta mass, and a corresponding kinetic energy of at least 10^51 erg, while the faint 2012a event is consistent with published models of core-collapse SNe from compact (~60 R_Sun) blue supergiants. The light curves of SN 2009ip and another Type IIn, SN 2010mc, were nearly identical; we demonstrate that their spectra match as well, and that both are standard SNe IIn. Our observations contradict the recent claim that the late-time spectrum of SN 2009ip is returning to its progenitor's LBV-like state, and we show that late-time spectra of SN 2009ip closely resemble spectra of SN 1987A. Moreover, SN 2009ip's changing H-alpha equivalent width after explosion matches behavior typically seen in core-collapse SNe IIn. Several key facts about SN 2009ip and SN 2010mc argue strongly in favor of a core-collapse interpretation, and make a non-terminal 10^50 erg event implausible. The most straighforward and self-consistent interpretation is that SN 2009ip was an initially faint core-collapse explosion of a blue supergiant that produced about half as much 56-Ni as SN 1987A, with most of the peak luminosity from CSM interaction.

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arXiv2013

Discovery and Early Multi-Wavelength Measurements of the Energetic Type Ic Supernova PTF12gzk: A Massive-Star Explosion in a Dwarf Host Galaxy

We present the discovery and extensive early-time observations of the Type Ic supernova (SN) PTF12gzk. Our finely sampled light curves show a rise of 0.8mag within 2.5hr. Power-law fits [f(t)\sim(t-t_0)^n] to these data constrain the explosion date to within one day. We cannot rule out the expected quadratic fireball model, but higher values of n are possible as well for larger areas in the fit parameter space. Our bolometric light curve and a dense spectral sequence are used to estimate the physical parameters of the exploding star and of the explosion. We show that the photometric evolution of PTF12gzk is slower than that of most SNe Ic, and its high ejecta velocities (~30,000km/s four days after explosion) are closer to the observed velocities of broad-lined SNe Ic associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) than to the observed velocities in normal Type Ic SNe. The high velocities are sustained through the SN early evolution, and are similar to those of GRB-SNe when the SN reach peak magnitude. By comparison with the spectroscopically similar SN 2004aw, we suggest that the observed properties of PTF12gzk indicate an initial progenitor mass of 25-35 solar mass and a large (5-10E51 erg) kinetic energy, close to the regime of GRB-SN properties. The host-galaxy characteristics are consistent with GRB-SN hosts, and not with normal SN Ic hosts as well, yet this SN does not show the broad lines over extended periods of time that are typical of broad-line Type Ic SNe.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

The Progenitor of Supernova 2011dh Has Vanished

We conducted Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Snapshot observations of the Type IIb Supernova (SN) 2011dh in M51 at an age of ~641 days with the Wide Field Camera 3. We find that the yellow supergiant star, clearly detected in pre-SN HST images, has disappeared, implying that this star was almost certainly the progenitor of the SN. Interpretation of the early-time SN data which led to the inference of a compact nature for the progenitor, and to the expected survival of this yellow supergiant, is now clearly incorrect. We also present ground-based UBVRI light curves obtained with the Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT) at Lick Observatory up to SN age ~70 days. From the light-curve shape including the very late-time HST data, and from recent interacting binary models for SN 2011dh, we estimate that a putative surviving companion star to the now deceased yellow supergiant could be detectable by late 2013, especially in the ultraviolet. No obvious light echoes are detectable yet in the SN environment.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

The Crab Nebula and the class of Type IIn-P supernovae caused by sub-energetic electron capture explosions

What sort of supernova gave rise to the Crab Nebula? There are several indications that the Crab arose from a sub-energetic explosion of an 8-10 Msun star, this appears to conflict with the high luminosity indicated by historical observations. This paper shows that several properties of the Crab are best suited to Type IIn-P explosions (Type IIn spectra with plateau light curves). These events probably arise from relatively low-energy (1e50 erg) explosions with low 56Ni yield resulting from electron-capture SNe (ecSNe), but their high luminosity and Type IIn spectra are dominated by shock interaction with CSM. After about 120 days, nearly all of the mass in the CSM and ejecta ends up in a slow dense shell. In the scenario proposed here for SN1054, this thin shell is accelerated by the growing pulsar wind nebula, producing the complex network of filaments seen today. There is no need to invoke the invisible fast SN envelope hypothesized to reside outside the Crab. SNeIIn-P explain several observed features of the Crab: (1) No blast wave or rapidly expanding SN envelope outside the filaments, (2) a total mass of 5 Msun swept up in a thin shell, (3) a high peak luminosity despite the low kinetic energy, and (4) chemical abundances consistent with an 8-10 Msun star and low 56Ni yield. A number of other implications are discussed, concerning other Crab-like remnants, dust in the Crab filaments, diversity in the initial masses of SNe IIn, and an association between ecSNe and SN impostors. This model predicts that if light echoes from SN1054 are discovered, they will be consistent with a Type IIn-P spectrum.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of SN2009ip's 2012 Brightening Reveals a Dusty Pre-Supernova Environment

We present low-resolution near-IR 0.8-2.5 um spectra of SN2009ip, taken immediately before, during, and just after its rapid brightening in late Sep/Oct 2012. The first epoch shows the same general spectral characteristics as the later epochs (smooth continuum, narrow H and HeI emission lines), but the IR continuum shape is substantially redder than the later epochs. The epoch 1 continuum can be approximated by reddening the peak-luminosity (epoch 3) spectrum by E(B-V)=1.0 mag, but the blue color seen in visual-wavelength spectra at the same time indicates that strong wavelength-dependent extinction by circumstellar dust is not the correct explanation. Instead, we favor the hypothesis that the redder color before the brightening arises from excess emission from hot $\sim$2000 K circumstellar dust. The minimum radius (120 AU) deduced from the dust temperature and observed luminosity of the transient, combined with the observed expansion speed in the precursor outbursts of SN 2009ip, is consistent with an ejection at least 1.1 yr earlier. The mass of hot dust indicated by the IR excess is 4x10$^{-7}$ Msun, although this is only a lower limit since the near-IR data do not constrain the mass of cooler dust. Thus, the observed pre-SN outbursts of this object were able to efficiently form dust into which the SN ejecta and radiation now propagate. This is consistent with the notion that the same pre-SN eruptions that generally give rise to SNe IIn also give rise to the dust needed for their commonly observed IR echoes. We also discuss some aspects of the IR line profiles, including HeI 10830.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

HST/WFC3 Imaging of Protostellar Jets in Carina: [Fe II] Emission Tracing Massive Jets from Intermediate Mass Protostars

We present narrowband WFC3-UVIS and -IR images of four externally irradiated protostellar jets in the Carina nebula: HH666, HH901, HH902, and HH1066. These massive jets are unusual because they are bathed in UV radiation from dozens of nearby O stars, but despite the strong incident ionizing radiation, portions of the jet remain neutral. Near-IR [Fe II] images reveal dense, neutral gas that was not seen in previous studies of H-alpha emission. We show that near-IR [Fe II] emitting gas must be self-shielded from Lyman continuum photons, regardless of its excitation mechanism (shocks, FUV radiation, or both). High densities are required for the survival of Fe+ amid the strong Lyman continuum from Tr14, raising estimates of the mass-loss rates by an order of magnitude. Higher jet mass-loss rates require higher accretion rates onto their driving protostars, implying that these jets are driven by intermediate-mass (IM; ~2-8 Msun) stars. Indeed, the IR driving sources of two of these outflows have luminosities that require IM protostars. All four of these HH jets are highly collimated, with opening angles of only a few degrees, similar to those observed in low-mass protostars. We propose that these jets reflect essentially the same outflow phenomenon seen in wide-angle molecular outflows associated with IM and high-mass protostars, but that the collimated atomic jet core is irradiated and rendered observable in Carina's harsh radiative environment. In more quiescent environments, this atomic core remains invisible, and outflows traced by shock-excited molecules in the outflow cavity give the impression that these outflows have a wider opening angle. Thus, the externally irradiated jets in Carina constitute a new view of collimated jets from IM protostars, and offer strong additional evidence that stars up to at least ~8 Msun form by the same accretion mechanisms as low-mass stars.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

The Unprecedented 2012 Outburst of SN 2009ip: A Luminous Blue Variable Becomes a True Supernova

Some reports of supernova (SN) discoveries turn out not to be true core-collapse explosions. One such case was SN 2009ip, which was recognized to be a luminous blue variable (LBV) eruption. This source had a massive hot progenitor star identified in pre-explosion data, it had documented evidence of pre-outburst variability, and it was subsequently discovered to have a 2nd outburst in 2010. This same source rebrightened again in 2012, and early spectra showed the same narrow-line profiles as before, suggesting another LBV-like eruption. We present new photometry and spectroscopy of SN 2009ip, indicating that it has transitioned into a true SN. The most striking discovery in these data is that unlike previous reports, the spectrum exhibited Balmer lines with very broad P-Cygni profiles characteristic of normal Type II supernovae (SNe II), in addition to narrow emission lines seen in SNe IIn and LBVs. Emission components have FWHM 8000 km/s, while the P-Cygni absorption component has blue wings extending to -13,000 km/s. These velocities are typical of SNe II, but have never been associated with emission lines from a nonterminal LBV-like eruption. Initially, the peak absolute magnitude seemed fainter than that of normal SNe. However, after a brief period of fading, the source quickly brightened again to M_R=-17.5 mag over a couple days. The broad lines mostly disappeared, and the spectrum began to resemble the early optically thick phases of SNe IIn. Two weeks later the source leveled off near -18 mag, after which broad emission lines again developed in the spectrum as the source faded. We conclude that the 2012 outburst of SN 2009ip was the result of a true core-collapse SN IIn that occured when the progenitor star was in an LBV-like outburst phase, and where the SN was initially faint and then rapidly brightened due to interaction with circumstellar material (abridged).

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

SN 2011ht: Confirming a Class of Interacting Supernovae with Plateau Light Curves (Type IIn-P)

We present photometry and spectroscopy of the Type IIn supernova (SN) 2011ht, identified previously as a SN impostor. The light curve exhibits an abrupt transition from a well-defined ~120 day plateau to a steep bolometric decline. Leading up to peak brightness, a hot emission-line spectrum exhibits signs of interaction with circumstellar material (CSM), in the form of relatively narrow P-Cygni features of H I and He I superimposed on broad Lorentzian wings. For the remainder of the plateau phase the spectrum exhibits strengthening P-Cygni profiles of Fe II, Ca II, and H-alpha. By day 147, after the plateau has ended, the SN entered the nebular phase, heralded by the appearance of forbidden transitions of [O I], [O II], and [Ca II] over a weak continuum. At this stage, the light curve exhibits a low luminosity that is comparable to that sub-luminous Type II-P supernovae, and a relatively fast visual-wavelength decline that is significantly steeper than the Co-56 decay rate. However, the total bolometric decline, including the IR luminosity, is consistent with Co-56 decay, and implies a low Ni-56 mass of ~0.01 M(Sun). We therefore characterize SN 2011ht as a bona-fide core-collapse SN very similar to the peculiar SNe IIn 1994W and 2009kn. These three SNe define a subclass, which are Type IIn based on their spectrum, but that also exhibit well-defined plateaus and produce low Ni-56 yields. We therefore suggest Type IIn-P as a name for this subclass. Possible progenitors of SNe IIn-P, consistent with the available data, include 8-10 M(Sun) stars, which undergo core collapse as a result of electron capture after a brief phase of enhanced mass loss, or more massive M>25 M(Sun) progenitors, which experience substantial fallback of the metal-rich radioactive ejecta. In either case, the energy radiated by these three SNe during their plateau must be dominated by CSM interaction (abridged).

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2012

The Ring Nebula Around the Blue Supergiant SBW1: Pre-Explosion Snapshot of a SN 1987A Twin

SBW1 is a B supergiant surrounded by a ring nebula that is a nearby twin of SN 1987A. We present images and spectra of SBW1 obtained with HST, Spitzer, and Gemini South. HST images of SBW1 do not exhibit long Rayleigh-Taylor fingers, which are presumed to cause the hotspots in the SN1987A ring, but instead show a geometrically thin clumpy ring. The radial mass distribution and size scales of inhomogeneities in SBW1's ring closely resemble those in the SN1987A ring, but the more complete disk expected to reside at the base of the RT fingers is absent. This structure may explain why portions of the SN1987A ring between the hotspots have not yet brightened after more than 15 years. The model we suggest does not require a fast wind colliding with a previous red supergiant wind. More surprisingly, images of SBW1 also reveal diffuse emission filling the interior of the ring in H-alpha and thermal-IR emission; 190K dust dominates the 8-20 micron luminosity (but contains only 1e-5Msun). Cooler (85K dust resides in the equatorial ring itself (dust mass of 5e-3Msun). Diffuse emission extends inward to 1 arcsecond from the central star, where a paucity of emission suggests an inner hole excavated by the wind. We propose that diffuse emission inside the ring arises from an ionized flow of material photoevaporated from the dense ring, and it prevents the supergiant wind from advancing in the equator. This inner emission could correspond to a structure hypothesized to reside around SN1987A that was never directly detected. We suggest that photoionization can play an important dynamical role in shaping the ring nebula, and we speculate that this might help explain the origin of the polar rings around SN1987A. abridged.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2012

A Model for the 19th Century Eruption of Eta Carinae: CSM Interaction Like a Scaled-Down Type IIn Supernova

This paper proposes a simple model for the 19th century eruption of Eta Carinae that consists of two components: (1) a strong wind (MdotM=0.33 Msun/yr; v=200 km/s), blowing for 30 years, followed by (2) a 1e50 erg explosion in 1844. The ensuing collision between the fast ejecta and the CSM causes an increase in brightness observed at the end of 1844, followed by a sustained high-luminosity phase lasting for 10-15 years that matches the historical light curve. The emergent luminosity is powered by CSM interaction, analogous to the process in luminous Type IIn supernovae, except with 10 times lower explosion energy and at slower speeds (causing a longer duration and lower emergent luminosity). Such an explosive event provides a natural explanation for the light curve evolution, but also accounts for a number of puzzling attributes of the Homunculus nebula: (1) rough equipartition of total radiated and kinetic energy, (2) the double-shell structure of the Homunculus, (3) the apparent single age and Hubble-like flow resulting from the thin swept-up shell, (4) the complex mottled appearance of the polar lobes in HST images, arising from Raleigh-Taylor or Vishniac instabilities, (5) efficient and rapid dust formation, as seen in Type IIn supernovae, and (6) the fast (5000 km/s) material outside the Homunculus, arising from the acceleration of the forward shock upon exiting the dense CSM. In principle, the bipolar shape has already been explained in earlier studies of interacting winds, except that here the CSM interaction occurs over only 10 years, producing a thin shell with the resulting structures then frozen-in to the expanding bipolar nebula. This self-consistent picture has a number of implications for other eruptive transients, many of which may also be powered by CSM interaction.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2012

Supernova 1998S at 14 years Postmortem: Continuing Circumstellar Interaction and Dust Formation

We report late-time spectroscopic observations of the Type IIn SN 1998S, taken 14 years after explosion using the Large Binocular Telescope. The optical spectrum exhibits broad emission features of [O I], [O II], [O III], H-alpha, H-beta, and [Fe II]. The last decade of evolution has exhibited a strengthening of the oxygen transitions, evidence that the late-time emission is powered by increasingly metal-rich SN ejecta crossing the reverse shock. The H-alpha luminosity requires that SN 1998S is still interacting with dense circumstellar material (CSM), probably produced by the strong wind of a red supergiant progenitor at least ~1000 years before explosion. The emission lines exhibit asymmetric blueshifted profiles, which implies that the receding hemisphere of the SN is obscured by dust. The [O III] line, in particular, exhibits a complete suppression of its red wing. This could be the result of the expected wavelength dependence for dust extinction or a smaller radial distribution for [O III]. In the latter case, the red wing of [O III] could be absorbed by core dust, while both the blue and red wings are absorbed by dust within the cool dense shell between the forward and reverse shocks; this interpretation could explain why late-time [O III] emission from SNe is often weaker than models predict. The [O I] line exhibits double-peaked structure on top of the broader underlying profile, possibly due to emission from individual clumps of ejecta or ring-like structures of metal-rich debris. The centroids of the peaks are blueshifted and lack a red counterpart. However, an archival spectrum obtained on day 1093 exhibits a third, redshifted peak, which we suspect has become extinguished by dust that formed over the last decade. This implies that the "missing" red components of multi-peaked oxygen profiles observed in other SNe might be obscured by varying degrees of dust extinction.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2012

SN 2011hw: Helium-Rich Circumstellar Gas and the Luminous Blue Variable to Wolf-Rayet Transition in Supernova Progenitors

We present optical photometry and spectroscopy of the peculiar Type IIn/Ibn supernova SN2011hw. Its light curve exhibits a slower decline rate than normal SNeIbc, with a peak absolute magnitude of -19.5 (unfiltered) and a secondary peak of -18.3 mag (R). Spectra of SN2011hw are unusual compared to normal SN types, most closely resembling the spectra of SNeIbn. We center our analysis on comparing SN 2011hw to the well-studied TypeIbn SN2006jc. While the two SNe have many important similarities, the differences are quite telling: compared to SN2006jc, SN2011hw has weaker HeI and CaII lines and relatively stronger H lines, its light curve has a higher luminosity and slower decline rate, and emission lines associated with the progenitor's CSM are narrower. One can reproduce the unusual continuum shape of SN2011hw with equal contributions of a 6000K blackbody and a spectrum of SN2006jc. We attribute this emission component and many other differences between the two SNe to extra opacity from a small amount of additional H in SN2011hw, analogous to the small H mass that makes SNeIIb differ from SNeIb. Slower speeds in the CSM and elevated H content suggest a connection between the progenitor of SN2011hw and the class of Ofpe/WN9 stars, which have been associated with LBVs in their hot quiescent phases between outbursts, and are H-poor - but not H-free like classical Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars. We conclude that the similarities and differences between SN2011hw and SN2006jc can be largely understood if their progenitors exploded at different points in the transitional evolution from an LBV to a WR star.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2011

Multi-epoch Spectropolarimetry of SN 2011fe

We present multiple spectropolarimetric observations of the nearby Type Ia supernova SN 2011fe in M101, obtained before, during, and after the time of maximum apparent visual brightness. SN 2011fe exhibits time-dependent polarization in both the continuum and strong absorption lines. At all epochs, red wavelengths exhibit a degree of continuum polarizaiton of 0.2-0.4 per cent, likely indicative of persistent asymmetry in the electron-scattering photosphere. However, the degree of polarization across the Si II 6355 absorption line varies dramatically from epoch to epoch. Before maximum, Si II 6355 shows enhanced polarization at the same position angle (PA) as the polarized continuum. During two epochs near maximum, however, Si II 6355 absorption has a lower degree of polarization, with a PA that is 90deg from the continuum. After maximum, the absorption feature has the same degree of polarization and PA as the adjacent continuum. Another absorption feature in the blue (either Si II 5051 or a blend with Fe II lines) shows qualitatively similar changes, although the changes are shifted in time to an earlier epoch. This behavior is similar to that seen in broad absorption-line quasars, where the polarization in absorption features has been interpreted as the line absorbing some of the unpolarized continuum flux. This behavior, along with the 90deg shifts of the polarization PA with time, imply a time-dependent large-scale asymmetry in the explosion.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2011

HST-COS Observations of Hydrogen, Helium, Carbon and Nitrogen Emission from the SN 1987A Reverse Shock

We present the most sensitive ultraviolet observations of Supernova 1987A to date. Imaging spectroscopy from the Hubble Space Telescope-Cosmic Origins Spectrograph shows many narrow (dv \sim 300 km/s) emission lines from the circumstellar ring, broad (dv \sim 10 -- 20 x 10^3 km/s) emission lines from the reverse shock, and ultraviolet continuum emission. The high signal-to-noise (> 40 per resolution element) broad LyA emission is excited by soft X-ray and EUV heating of mostly neutral gas in the circumstellar ring and outer supernova debris. The ultraviolet continuum at λ> 1350A can be explained by HI 2-photon emission from the same region. We confirm our earlier, tentative detection of NV λ1240 emission from the reverse shock and we present the first detections of broad HeII \lambda1640, CIV \lambda1550, and NIV] \lambda1486 emission lines from the reverse shock. The helium abundance in the high-velocity material is He/H = 0.14 +/- 0.06. The NV/H-alpha line ratio requires partial ion-electron equilibration (T_{e}/T_{p} \approx 0.14 - 0.35). We find that the N/C abundance ratio in the gas crossing the reverse shock is significantly higher than that in the circumstellar ring, a result that may be attributed to chemical stratification in the outer envelope of the supernova progenitor. The N/C abundance ratio may have been stratified prior to the ring expulsion, or this result may indicate continued CNO processing in the progenitor subsequent to the expulsion of the circumstellar ring.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2011

Systematic Blueshift of Line Profiles in the Type IIn Supernova 2010jl: Evidence for Post-Shock Dust Formation?

Type IIn SNe show spectral evidence for strong interaction between their blast wave and dense circumstellar material (CSM) around the progenitor star. SN2010jl was the brightest core-collapse SN in 2010, and it was a Type IIn explosion with strong CSM interaction. Andrews et al. recently reported evidence for an IR excess in SN2010jl, indicating either new dust formation or the heating of CSM dust in an IR echo. Here we report multi-epoch spectra of SN2010jl that reveal the tell-tale signature of new dust formation: emission-line profiles becoming systematically more blueshifted as the red side of the line is blocked by increasing extinction. The effect is seen clearly in the intermediate-width (400--4000 km/s) component of H$α$ beginning roughly 30d after explosion. Moreover, we present near-IR spectra demonstrating that the asymmetry in the hydrogen-line profiles is wavelength dependent, appearing more pronounced at shorter wavelengths. This evidence suggests that new dust grains had formed quickly in the post-shock shell of SN 2010jl arising from CSM interaction. Since the observed dust temperature has been attributed to an IR echo and not to new dust, either (1) IR excess emission at $λ< 5 μ$m is not a particularly sensitive tracer of new dust formation in SNe, or (2) some assumptions about expected dust temperatures might require further study. Lastly, we discuss one possible mechanism other than dust that might lead to increasingly blueshifted line profiles in SNeIIn, although the wavelength dependence of the asymmetry argues against this hypothesis in the case of SN2010jl.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2011

SN2010jp (PTF10aaxi): A Jet-Driven Type II Supernova

We present photometry and spectroscopy of the peculiar TypeII supernova (SN) 2010jp, also named PTF10aaxi. The light curve exhibits a linear decline with a relatively low peak absolute magnitude of only -15.9, and a low radioactive decay luminosity at late times that suggests a nickel mass below 0.003 $M_{\odot}$. Spectra of SN2010jp display an unprecedented triple-peaked H$α$ line profile, showing: (1) a narrow (800 km/s) central component that suggests shock interaction with dense CSM; (2) high-velocity blue and red emission features centered at -12600 and +15400 km/s; and (3) broad wings extending from -22000 to +25000 km/s. These features persist during 100 days after explosion. We propose that this line profile indicates a bipolar jet-driven explosion, with the central component produced by normal SN ejecta and CSM interaction at mid latitudes, while the high-velocity bumps and broad line wings arise in a nonrelativistic bipolar jet. Two variations of the jet interpretation seem plausible: (1) A fast jet mixes 56Ni to high velocities in polar zones of the H-rich envelope, or (2) the reverse shock in the jet produces blue and red bumps in Balmer lines when a jet interacts with dense CSM. Jet-driven SNeII are predicted for collapsars resulting from a wide range of initial masses above 25 $M_{\odot}$ at sub-solar metallicity. This seems consistent with the SN host environment, which is either an extremely low-luminosity dwarf galaxy or very remote parts of an interacting pair of star-forming galaxies. It also seems consistent with the low 56Ni mass that may accompany black hole formation. We speculate that the jet survives to produce observable signatures because the star's H envelope was mostly stripped away by previous eruptive mass loss.

astro-ph.HE↗