Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: With an increasing number of superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) discovered, the question of their origin remains open and causes heated debates in the supernova community. Currently, there are three proposed mechanisms for SLSNe: (1) pair-instability supernovae (PISNe), (2) magnetar-driven supernovae and (3) models in which the supernova ejecta interacts with a circumstellar material ejected before the explosion. Based on current observations of SLSNe, the PISN origin has been disfavoured for a number of reasons. Many PISN models provide overly broad light curves and too reddened spectra, because of massive ejecta and a high amount of nickel. In the current study, we re-examine PISN properties using progenitor models computed with the genec code. We calculate supernova explosions with flash and light-curve evolution with the radiation hydrodynamics code stella. We find that high-mass models (200 and 250 M⊙) at relatively high metallicity (Z = 0.001) do not retain hydrogen in the outer layers and produce relatively fast evolving PISNe Type I and might be suitable to explain some SLSNe. We also investigate uncertainties in light-curve modelling due to codes, opacities, the nickel-bubble effect and progenitor structure and composition.
Institutions: Tel Aviv University, Keele University, North Carolina State University, Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, The University of Tokyo, Kurchatov Institute, Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, University of Chicago, University of Minnesota, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Monash University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Louisiana State University, Lomonosov Moscow State University
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, University of Chicago, Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics - Center for the Evolution of the Elements, University of Leicester, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Russian Science Foundation, National Nuclear Security Administration, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Australian Research Council, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Awards: JINA Center for the Evolution of the Elements, G1771655729, G2695431083, G286898171, G2980544840, G310521049, Petascale Computing of Thermonuclear Supernova Explosions, G3700687868, G3745956429, THE ORIGIN OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS: CONNECTING LABORATORY NUCLEAR ASTROPHYSICS WITH ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS THROUGH NUCLEOSYNTHESIS MODELING, G4169061630, PFC: Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, JINA, G4678261708, G4799598286, G4844714250, G5083158263, G5657628048, G5660267321, G5999448510, G6800588795, G7065573058, DiRAC2: 100 Tflop/s HPC cluster procurement, G7537772910, G75892134, Cosmic explosions and the origin of the elements, G810015549, G8463816521, G8962111125
OpenAlex ID: W2529092079