On the nature of hydrogen-rich superluminous supernovae

C. Inserra*, S. J. Smartt, E. E.E. Gall, G. Leloudas, T. W. Chen, S. Schulze, A. Jerkstrand, M. Nicholl, J. P. Anderson, I. Arcavi, S. Benetti, R. A. Cartier, M. Childress, M. Della Valle, H. Flewelling, M. Fraser, A. Gal-Yam, C. P. Gutiérrez, G. Hosseinzadeh, D. A. HowellM. Huber, E. Kankare, T. Krühler, E. A. Magnier, K. Maguire, C. McCully, S. Prajs, N. Primak, R. Scalzo, B. P. Schmidt, M. Smith, K. W. Smith, B. E. Tucker, S. Valenti, M. Wilman, D. R. Young, F. Yuan

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

67 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present two hydrogen-rich superluminous supernovae (SLSNe): SN2103hx and PS15br. These objects, together with SN2008es, are the only SLSNe showing a distinct, broad Ha feature during the photospheric phase; also, they show no sign of strong interaction between fast moving ejecta and circumstellar shells in their early spectra. Despite the fact that the peak luminosity of PS15br is fainter than that of the other two objects, the spectrophotometric evolution is similar to SN2103hx and different from any other supernova in a similar luminosity space. We group all of them as SLSNe II and hence they are distinct from the known class of SLSN IIn. Both transients show a strong, multicomponent Ha emission after 200 d past maximum, which we interpret as an indication of the interaction of the ejecta with an asymmetric, clumpy circumstellar material. The spectra and photometric evolution of the two objects are similar to Type II supernovae, although they have much higher luminosity and evolve on slower time-scales. This is qualitatively similar to how SLSNe I compare with normal type Ic, in that the former are brighter and evolve more slowly. We apply a magnetar and an interaction semi-analytical code to fit the light curves of our two objects and SN2008es. The overall observational data set would tend to favour the magnetar, or central engine, model as the source of the peak luminosity, although the clear signature of late-time interaction indicates that interaction can play a role in the luminosity evolution of SLSNe II at some phases.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberstx3179
Pages (from-to)1046-1072
Number of pages27
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume475
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 21 Mar 2018
Externally publishedYes

Funding

FundersFunder number
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for All-sky AstrophysicsCE110001020
CONICYT-Chile FONDECYT3140534, PFB-06/2007, IC120009
EU/FP7-ERC
European Union FP7
FP7/2007
Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias
NASA’s Planetary Defense OfficeNNX14AM74G
National Central University of Taiwan
National Optical Astronomy Observatories
PESSTO
Pan-STARRS Project Office
Queen’s University Belfast
Science Foundation Ireland University
National Science FoundationAST-1238877
National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNNX08AR22G, PF6-170148
Johns Hopkins University
University of Maryland
University of Hawai'i
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Seventh Framework Programme320360, 291222, 615929, 1238877
Space Telescope Science Institute
Science and Technology Facilities CouncilST/I001123/1, ST/L000709/1
Royal Society
European Research Council
University of Edinburgh
Durham University
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Liverpool John Moores University
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
Seventh Framework Programme
Ministerio de Economía, Fomento y Turismo
Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem
Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics

    Keywords

    • Circumstellar matter
    • Stars: magnetars
    • Supernovae: general
    • Supernovae: individual: PS15br
    • Supernovae: individual: SN2008es
    • Supernovae: individual: SN2103hx

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