SN 2010MB: Direct evidence for a supernova interacting with a large amount of hydrogen-free circumstellar material

Sagi Ben-Ami, Avishay Gal-Yam, Paolo A. Mazzali, Orly Gnat, Maryam Modjaz, Itay Rabinak, Mark Sullivan, Lars Bildsten, Dovi Poznanski, Ofer Yaron, Iair Arcavi, Joshua S. Bloom, Assaf Horesh, Mansi M. Kasliwal, Shrinivas R. Kulkarni, Peter E. Nugent, Eran O. Ofek, Daniel Perley, Robert Quimby, Dong Xu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

53 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present our observations of SN 2010mb, a Type Ic supernova (SN) lacking spectroscopic signatures of H and He. SN 2010mb has a slowly declining light curve (LC) (600 days) that cannot be powered by 56Ni/56Co radioactivity, the common energy source for Type Ic SNe. We detect signatures of interaction with hydrogen-free circumstellar material including a blue quasi-continuum and, uniquely, narrow oxygen emission lines that require high densities (109 cm-3). From the observed spectra and LC, we estimate that the amount of material involved in the interaction was 3 M . Our observations are in agreement with models of pulsational pair-instability SNe described in the literature.

Original languageEnglish
Article number37
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume785
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 10 Apr 2014

Funding

FundersFunder number
European Commission
Science and Technology Facilities CouncilST/L00061X/1
Seventh Framework Programme307260
National Science Foundation1109174, 1009987

    Keywords

    • stars: Population III
    • stars: mass-loss
    • supernovae: general

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