Work

A statistical study of the environmental age of core-collapse supernovae based on VLT/MUSE integral-field-unit spectroscopy

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Aims. We aim to understand the progenitor channels of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) via a statistical study of the ages of their environments. Methods. We compiled a large and minimally biased sample of 128 CCSNe discovered by un-targeted wide-field transient surveys and with archival VLT/MUSE integral-field-unit spectroscopy. We measured the local H α luminosity within a 300 pc aperture centered on the SN explosion site as an empirical proxy for the environmental age. Results. We find that the mean local H α luminosities are ordered as II(P) ≈ IIb ≲ Ib < Ic. The differences between Types II(P), IIb, and Ib, if any, are very small. Type Ic SNe are located in clearly younger environments than the other types. Conclusions. Our result suggests that Type Ic SNe have much younger and more massive progenitors than the other CCSN types and likely originate from a distinct progenitor channel. The distinction between Types II(P), IIb, and Ib is insensitive to progenitor mass and mainly due to differences in binary separation. In contrast, Type Ic SNe predominantly require much higher-mass progenitors accompanied by close companions with large mass ratios and/or much stronger stellar wind, the latter of which depends sensitively on progenitor mass.

Source: Astronomy and Astrophysics

DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202660239