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Title: CALTECH CORE-COLLAPSE PROJECT (CCCP) OBSERVATIONS OF TYPE IIn SUPERNOVAE: TYPICAL PROPERTIES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THEIR PROGENITOR STARS

Journal Article · · Astrophysical Journal
; ;  [1]; ;  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];
  1. Benoziyo Center for Astrophysics, Faculty of Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100 (Israel)
  2. Department of Astronomy, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182 (United States)
  3. Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States)
  4. Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)
  5. Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada)

Type IIn supernovae (SNe IIn) are rare events, constituting only a few percent of all core-collapse SNe, and the current sample of well-observed SNe IIn is small. Here, we study the four SNe IIn observed by the Caltech Core-Collapse Project (CCCP). The CCCP SN sample is unbiased to the extent that object selection was not influenced by target SN properties. Therefore, these events are representative of the observed population of SNe IIn. We find that a narrow P-Cygni profile in the hydrogen Balmer lines appears to be a ubiquitous feature of SNe IIn. Our light curves show a relatively long rise time (>20 days) followed by a slow decline stage (0.01-0.15 mag day{sup -1}), and a typical V-band peak magnitude of M{sub V} = -18.4 {+-} 1.0 mag. We measure the progenitor star wind velocities (600-1400 km s{sup -1}) for the SNe in our sample and derive pre-explosion mass-loss rates (0.026-0.12 M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}). We compile similar data for SNe IIn from the literature and discuss our results in the context of this larger sample. Our results indicate that typical SNe IIn arise from progenitor stars that undergo luminous-blue-variable-like mass loss shortly before they explode.

OSTI ID:
22004299
Journal Information:
Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 744, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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