A Statistical Study of Superluminous Supernovae Using the Magnetar Engine Model and Implications for Their Connection with Gamma-Ray Bursts and Hypernovae
- Institute of Astrophysics, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079 (China)
- GXU-NAOC Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, Department of Physics, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004 (China)
- School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan (China)
By fitting the bolometric light curves of 31 superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) with the magnetar engine model, we derive the ejecta masses and magnetar parameters for these SLSNe. The lower boundary of magnetic field strengths of SLSN magnetars can be set just around the critical field strength B{sub c} of the electron Landau quantization. In more details, SLSN magnetars can further be divided into two subclasses of magnetic fields of ∼(1--5)B{sub c} and ∼(5--10)B{sub c}, respectively. It is revealed that these two subclasses of magnetars are just associated with the slow-evolving and fast-evolving bolometric light curves of SLSNe. In comparison, the magnetars harbored in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and associated hypernovae are usually inferred to have much higher magnetic fields with a lower boundary of about ∼10B{sub c}. This robustly suggests that it is the magnetic fields that play the crucial role in distinguishing SLSNe from GRBs/hypernovae. The rotational energy of SLSN magnetars is found to be correlated with the masses of supernova ejecta. This possible correlation provides a clue to explore the nature of their progenitors. Moreover, the distribution of ejecta masses of SLSNe is basically intermediate between those of normal core-collapse supernovae and hypernovae. This could indicate an intrinsic connection among these different stellar explosions.
- OSTI ID:
- 22872757
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 840, 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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