We report distinctly double-peaked H and Hβ emission lines in the late-time, nebular-phase spectra ( 200 days) of the otherwise normal at early phases ( 100 days) type IIP supernova ASASSN-16at (SN ...2016X). Such distinctly double-peaked nebular Balmer lines have never been observed for a type II SN. The nebular-phase Balmer emission is driven by the radioactive 56Co decay, so the observed line profile bifurcation suggests a strong bipolarity in the 56Ni distribution or in the line-forming region of the inner ejecta. The strongly bifurcated blueshifted and redshifted peaks are separated by ∼3 × 103 km s−1 and are roughly symmetrically positioned with respect to the host-galaxy rest frame, implying that the inner ejecta are composed of two almost-detached blobs. The red peak progressively weakens relative to the blue peak, and disappears in the 740 days spectrum. One possible reason for the line-ratio evolution is increasing differential extinction from continuous formation of dust within the envelope, which is also supported by the near-infrared flux excess that develops after ∼100 days.
Narrow absorption features in nearby supernova (SN) spectra are a powerful diagnostic of the slow-moving material in the line of sight: they are extensively used to infer dust extinction from the ...host galaxies, and they can also serve in the detection of circumstellar material originating from the SN progenitor and present in the vicinity of the explosion. Despite their wide use, very few studies have examined the biases of the methods to characterize narrow lines, and not many statistical analyses exist. This is the first paper of a series in which we present a statistical analysis of narrow lines of SN spectra of various resolutions. We developed a robust automated methodology to measure the equivalent width (EW) and velocity of narrow absorption lines from intervening material in the line of sight of SNe, including Na I D, Ca II H&K, K I , and diffuse interstellar bands. We carefully studied systematic biases in heterogeneous spectra from the literature by simulating different signal-to-noise, spectral resolution, size and orientation of the slit, and we present the real capabilities and limitations of using low- and mid-resolution spectra to study these lines. In particular, we find that the measurement of the EW of the narrow lines in low-resolution spectra is highly affected by the evolving broad P-Cygni profiles of the SN ejecta, both for core-collapse and type Ia SNe, inducing a conspicuous apparent evolution. Such pervading non-physical evolution of narrow lines might lead to wrong conclusions on the line-of-sight material, for example concerning circumstellar material ejected from the SN progenitors. We thus present an easy way to detect and exclude those cases to obtain more robust and reliable measurements. Finally, after considering all possible effects, we analysed the temporal evolution of the narrow features in a large sample of nearby SNe to detect any possible variation in their EWs over time. We find no time evolution of the narrow line features in our large sample for all SN types.
Narrow absorption features in nearby supernova (SN) spectra are a powerful diagnostic of the slow-moving material in the line of sight: they are extensively used to infer dust extinction from the ...host galaxies, and they can also serve in the detection of circumstellar material originating from the SN progenitor and present in the vicinity of the explosion. Despite their wide use, very few studies have examined the biases of the methods to characterize narrow lines, and not many statistical analyses exist. This is the first paper of a series in which we present a statistical analysis of narrow lines of SN spectra of various resolutions. We developed a robust automated methodology to measure the equivalent width (EW) and velocity of narrow absorption lines from intervening material in the line of sight of SNe, including Na I D, Ca II H&K, K I, and diffuse interstellar bands. We carefully studied systematic biases in heterogeneous spectra from the literature by simulating different signal-to-noise, spectral resolution, size and orientation of the slit, and we present the real capabilities and limitations of using low- and mid-resolution spectra to study these lines. In particular, we find that the measurement of the EW of the narrow lines in low-resolution spectra is highly affected by the evolving broad P-Cygni profiles of the SN ejecta, both for core-collapse and type Ia SNe, inducing a conspicuous apparent evolution. Such pervading non-physical evolution of narrow lines might lead to wrong conclusions on the line-of-sight material, for example concerning circumstellar material ejected from the SN progenitors. We thus present an easy way to detect and exclude those cases to obtain more robust and reliable measurements. Finally, after considering all possible effects, we analysed the temporal evolution of the narrow features in a large sample of nearby SNe to detect any possible variation in their EWs over time. We find no time evolution of the narrow line features in our large sample for all SN types.
We present extensive ground-based and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry of the highly reddened, very nearby SN Ia 2014J in M82, covering the phases from 9 days before to about 900 days after ...the B-band maximum. SN 2014J is similar to other normal SNe Ia near the maximum light, but it shows flux excess in the B band in the early nebular phase. This excess flux emission can be due to light scattering by some structures of circumstellar materials located at a few 1017 cm, consistent with a single-degenerate progenitor system or a double-degenerate progenitor system with mass outflows in the final evolution or magnetically driven winds around the binary system. At t ∼ +300 to ∼+500 days past the B-band maximum, the light curve of SN 2014J shows a faster decline relative to the 56Ni decay. That feature can be attributed to the significant weakening of the emission features around Fe iii λ4700 and Fe ii λ5200 rather than the positron escape, as previously suggested. Analysis of the HST images taken at t > 600 days confirms that the luminosity of SN 2014J maintains a flat evolution at the very late phase. Fitting the late-time pseudobolometric light curve with radioactive decay of 56Ni, 57Ni, and 55Fe isotopes, we obtain the mass ratio 57Ni/56Ni as 0.035 0.011, which is consistent with the corresponding value predicted from the 2D and 3D delayed-detonation models. Combined with early-time analysis, we propose that delayed-detonation through the single-degenerate scenario is most likely favored for SN 2014J.
The light curves of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are powered by the radioactive decay of 56Ni to 56Co at early times, and the decay of 56Co to 56Fe from ∼60 d after explosion. We examine the evolution ...of the Co iii λ5893 emission complex during the nebular phase for SNe Ia with multiple nebular spectra and show that the line flux follows the square of the mass of 56Co as a function of time. This result indicates both efficient local energy deposition from positrons produced in 56Co decay and long-term stability of the ionization state of the nebula. We compile SN Ia nebular spectra from the literature and present 21 new late-phase spectra of 7 SNe Ia, including SN 2014J. From these we measure the flux in the Co iii λ5893 line and remove its well-behaved time dependence to infer the initial mass of 56Ni (M
Ni) produced in the explosion. We then examine 56Ni yields for different SN Ia ejected masses (M
ej – calculated using the relation between light-curve width and ejected mass) and find that the 56Ni masses of SNe Ia fall into two regimes: for narrow light curves (low stretch s ∼ 0.7–0.9), M
Ni is clustered near M
Ni ≈ 0.4 M⊙ and shows a shallow increase as M
ej increases from ∼1 to 1.4 M⊙; at high stretch, M
ej clusters at the Chandrasekhar mass (1.4 M⊙) while M
Ni spans a broad range from 0.6 to 1.2 M⊙. This could constitute evidence for two distinct SN Ia explosion mechanisms.
We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of the interacting transient SN 2009ip taken during the 2013 and 2014 observing seasons. We characterize the photometric evolution as a steady ...and smooth decline in all bands, with a decline rate that is slower than expected for a solely 56Co-powered supernova at late phases. No further outbursts or eruptions were seen over a two year period from 2012 December until 2014 December. SN 2009ip remains brighter than its historic minimum from pre-discovery images. Spectroscopically, SN 2009ip continues to be dominated by strong, narrow (≲2000 km s− 1) emission lines of H, He, Ca, and Fe. While we make tenuous detections of Fe ii λ7155 and O i λλ6300, 6364 lines at the end of 2013 June and the start of 2013 October, respectively, we see no strong broad nebular emission lines that could point to a core-collapse origin. In general, the lines appear relatively symmetric, with the exception of our final spectrum in 2014 May, when we observe the appearance of a redshifted shoulder of emission at +550 km s− 1. The lines are not blueshifted, and we see no significant near- or mid-infrared excess. From the spectroscopic and photometric evolution of SN 2009ip until 820 d after the start of the 2012a event, we still see no conclusive evidence for core-collapse, although whether any such signs could be masked by ongoing interaction is unclear.
ABSTRACT
SN 2019neq was a very fast evolving superluminous supernova. At a redshift z = 0.1059, its peak absolute magnitude was −21.5 ± 0.2 mag in g band. In this work, we present data and analysis ...from an extensive spectrophotometric follow-up campaign using multiple observational facilities. Thanks to a nebular spectrum of SN 2019neq, we investigated some of the properties of the host galaxy at the location of SN 2019neq and found that its metallicity and specific star formation rate are in a good agreement with those usually measured for SLSNe-I hosts. We then discuss the plausibility of the magnetar and the circumstellar interaction scenarios to explain the observed light curves, and interpret a nebular spectrum of SN 2019neq using published sumo radiative-transfer models. The results of our analysis suggest that the spin-down radiation of a millisecond magnetar with a magnetic field $B\simeq 6\times 10^{14}\, \mathrm{G}$ could boost the luminosity of SN 2019neq.
We report a luminous Type II supernova, ASASSN-15nx, with a peak luminosity of mag that is between those of typical core-collapse supernovae and super-luminous supernovae. The post-peak optical light ...curves show a long, linear decline with a steep slope of 2.5 mag (100 day)−1 (i.e., an exponential decline in flux) through the end of observations at phase . In contrast, the light curves of hydrogen-rich supernovae (SNe II-P/L) always show breaks in their light curves at phase ∼100 day, before settling onto 56Co radioactive decay tails with a decline rate of about 1 mag (100 day)−1. The spectra of ASASSN-15nx do not exhibit the narrow emission-line features characteristic of Type IIn SNe, which can have a wide variety of light-curve shapes usually attributed to strong interactions with a dense circumstellar medium (CSM). ASASSN-15nx has a number of spectroscopic peculiarities, including a relatively weak and triangular-shaped H emission profile with no absorption component. The physical origin of these peculiarities is unclear, but the long and linear post-peak light curve without a break suggests a single dominant powering mechanism. Decay of a large amount of (MNi = 1.6 0.2 ) can power the light curve of ASASSN-15nx, and the steep light-curve slope requires substantial γ-ray escape from the ejecta, which is possible given a low-mass hydrogen envelope for the progenitor. Another possibility is strong CSM interactions powering the light curve, but the CSM needs to be sculpted to produce the unique light-curve shape and avoid producing SN IIn-like narrow emission lines.
We present optical photometry and spectroscopy from about a week after explosion to similar to 272 d of an atypical Type IIP supernova, SN 2015ba, which exploded in the edge-on galaxy IC 1029. SN ...2015ba is a luminous event with an absolute V-band magnitude of -17.1 +/- 0.2 mag at 50 d since explosion and has a long plateau lasting for similar to 123 d. The distance to the SN is estimated to be 34.8 +/- 0.7 Mpc using the expanding photosphere and standard candle methods. High-velocity H Balmer components constant with time are observed in the late-plateau phase spectra of SN 2015ba, which suggests a possible role of circumstellar interaction at these phases. Both hydrodynamical and analytical modelling suggest a massive progenitor of SN 2015ba with a pre-explosion mass of 24-26 M-circle dot. However, the nebular spectra of SN 2015ba exhibit insignificant levels of oxygen, which is otherwise expected from a massive progenitor. This might be suggestive of the non-monotonical link between O-core masses and the zero-age main sequence mass of pre-supernova stars and/or uncertainties in the mixing scenario in the ejecta of supernovae.
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