The host galaxies of fast-ejecta core-collapse supernovae

Journal Article · Tue Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2014 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/789/1/23· OSTI ID:22356520

Kelly, Patrick L.; Filippenko, Alexei V. ^[1]; Modjaz, Maryam ^[2]; Kocevski, Daniel ^[3]

---

1. Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States)
2. CCPP, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003 (United States)
3. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 662, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

Spectra of broad-lined Type Ic supernovae (SNe Ic-BL), the only kind of SN observed at the locations of long-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs), exhibit wide features indicative of high ejecta velocities (∼0.1c). We study the host galaxies of a sample of 245 low-redshift (z < 0.2) core-collapse SNe, including 17 SNe Ic-BL, discovered by galaxy-untargeted searches, and 15 optically luminous and dust-obscured z < 1.2 LGRBs. We show that, in comparison with Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxies having similar stellar masses, the hosts of low-redshift SNe Ic-BL and z < 1.2 LGRBs have high stellar mass and star formation rate densities. Core-collapse SNe having typical ejecta velocities, in contrast, show no preference for such galaxies. Moreover, we find that the hosts of SNe Ic-BL, unlike those of SNe Ib/Ic and SNe II, exhibit high gas velocity dispersions for their stellar masses. The patterns likely reflect variations among star-forming environments and suggest that LGRBs can be used as probes of conditions in high-redshift galaxies. They may be caused by efficient formation of massive binary progenitor systems in densely star-forming regions, or, less probably, a higher fraction of stars created with the initial masses required for an SN Ic-BL or LGRB. Finally, we show that the preference of SNe Ic-BL and LGRBs for galaxies with high stellar mass and star formation rate densities cannot be attributed to a preference for low metal abundances but must reflect the influence of a separate environmental factor.

• OSTI ID: 22356520
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 789; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ABUNDANCE
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS
DENSITY
DISPERSIONS
DUSTS
METALS
RED SHIFT
SPECTRA
SUPERNOVAE