SUPERNOVA PTF 09UJ: A POSSIBLE SHOCK BREAKOUT FROM A DENSE CIRCUMSTELLAR WIND

Journal Article · Tue Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 2010 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/724/2/1396· OSTI ID:21474465

Ofek, E O; Neill, J D; Kulkarni, S R; Forster, K; Kasliwal, M M; Law, N; Martin, C; Quimby, R M ^[1]; Rabinak, I; Arcavi, I; Waxman, E; Gal-Yam, A ^[2]; Cenko, S B; Bloom, J S; Filippenko, A V; Poznanski, D ^[3]; Nugent, P E; Jacobsen, J ^[4]; Bildsten, L; Howell, D A ^[5]

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1. Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)
2. Benoziyo Center for Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot (Israel)
3. Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States)
4. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)
5. Department of Physics, Broida Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States)

Type-IIn supernovae (SNe IIn), which are characterized by strong interaction of their ejecta with the surrounding circumstellar matter (CSM), provide a unique opportunity to study the mass-loss history of massive stars shortly before their explosive death. We present the discovery and follow-up observations of an SN IIn, PTF 09uj, detected by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). Serendipitous observations by Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) at ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths detected the rise of the SN light curve prior to the PTF discovery. The UV light curve of the SN rose fast, with a timescale of a few days, to a UV absolute AB magnitude of about -19.5. Modeling our observations, we suggest that the fast rise of the UV light curve is due to the breakout of the SN shock through the dense CSM (n {approx} 10{sup 10} cm{sup -3}). Furthermore, we find that prior to the explosion the progenitor went through a phase of high mass-loss rate ({approx}0.1 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}) that lasted for a few years. The decay rate of this SN was fast relative to that of other SNe IIn.

• OSTI ID: 21474465
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 724; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
BINARY STARS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
EVOLUTION
EXPLOSIONS
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
MATTER
RADIATIONS
SIMULATION
STAR EVOLUTION
STARS
SUPERNOVAE
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
VARIABLE STARS