ALBERT

Description: SN 2013dy is a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) for which we have compiled an extraordinary data set spanning from 0.1 to ~ 500 d after explosion. We present 10 epochs of ultraviolet (UV) through near-infrared (NIR) spectra with Hubble Space Telescope /Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, 47 epochs of optical spectra (15 of them having high resolution), and more than 500 photometric observations in the BVrRiIZYJH bands. SN 2013dy has a broad and slowly declining light curve ( m 15 ( B ) = 0.92 mag), shallow $\mathrm{Si}\,\small {II}\,\lambda 6355$ absorption, and a low velocity gradient. We detect strong C ii in our earliest spectra, probing unburned progenitor material in the outermost layers of the SN ejecta, but this feature fades within a few days. The UV continuum of SN 2013dy, which is strongly affected by the metal abundance of the progenitor star, suggests that SN 2013dy had a relatively high-metallicity progenitor. Examining one of the largest single set of high-resolution spectra for an SN Ia, we find no evidence of variable absorption from circumstellar material. Combining our UV spectra, NIR photometry, and high-cadence optical photometry, we construct a bolometric light curve, showing that SN 2013dy had a maximum luminosity of $10.0^{+4.8}_{-3.8} \times 10^{42}$  erg s –1 . We compare the synthetic light curves and spectra of several models to SN 2013dy, finding that SN 2013dy is in good agreement with a solar-metallicity W7 model.

Description: We present seven epochs of spectropolarimetry of the Type IIb supernova (SN IIb) 2011dh in M51, spanning 86 d of its evolution. The first epoch was obtained 9 d after the explosion, when the photosphere was still in the depleted hydrogen layer of the stripped-envelope progenitor. Continuum polarization is securely detected at the level of P   0.5 per cent through day 14 and appears to diminish by day 30, which is different from the prevailing trends suggested by studies of other core-collapse SNe. Time-variable modulations in P and position angle are detected across P-Cygni line features. H α and He  i polarization peak after 30 d and exhibit position angles roughly aligned with the earlier continuum, while O  i and Ca  ii appear to be geometrically distinct. We discuss several possibilities to explain the evolution of the continuum and line polarization, including the potential effects of a tidally deformed progenitor star, aspherical radioactive heating by fast-rising plumes of 56 Ni from the core, oblique shock breakout, or scattering by circumstellar material. While these possibilities are plausible and guided by theoretical expectations, they are not unique solutions to the data. The construction of more detailed hydrodynamic and radiative-transfer models that incorporate complex aspherical geometries will be required to further elucidate the nature of the polarized radiation from SN 2011dh and other SNe IIb.

Description: Supernova (SN) 2015U (also known as PSN J07285387+3349106) was discovered in NGC 2388 on 2015 Feb. 11. A rapidly evolving and luminous event, it showed effectively hydrogen-free spectra dominated by relatively narrow helium P-Cygni spectral features and it was classified as an SN Ibn. In this paper, we present photometric, spectroscopic, and spectropolarimetric observations of SN 2015U, including a Keck/DEIMOS spectrum (resolution 5000) which fully resolves the optical emission and absorption features. We find that SN 2015U is best understood via models of shock breakout from extended and dense circumstellar material (CSM), likely created by a history of mass-loss from the progenitor with an extreme outburst within ~1–2 yr of core collapse (but we do not detect any outburst in our archival imaging of NGC 2388). We argue that the high luminosity of SN 2015U was powered not through 56 Ni decay but via the deposition of kinetic energy into the ejecta/CSM shock interface. Though our analysis is hampered by strong host-galaxy dust obscuration (which likely exhibits multiple components), our data set makes SN 2015U one of the best-studied Type Ibn SNe and provides a bridge of understanding to other rapidly fading transients, both luminous and relatively faint.

Description: A series of optical and one near-infrared nebular spectra covering the first year of the Type Ia supernova SN 2011fe are presented and modelled. The density profile that proved best for the early optical/ultraviolet spectra, ‘-11fe’, was extended to lower velocities to include the regions that emit at nebular epochs. Model -11fe is intermediate between the fast deflagration model W7 and a low-energy delayed-detonation. Good fits to the nebular spectra are obtained if the innermost ejecta are dominated by neutron-rich, stable Fe-group species, which contribute to cooling but not to heating. The correct thermal balance can thus be reached for the strongest [Fe  ii ] and [Fe  iii ] lines to be reproduced with the observed ratio. The 56 Ni mass thus obtained is ~0.47 ± 0.05 M . The bulk of 56 Ni has an outermost velocity of ~8500 km s –1 . The mass of stable iron is ~0.23 ± 0.03 M . Stable Ni has low abundance, ~10 –2 M . This is sufficient to reproduce an observed emission line near 7400 Å. A sub-Chandrasekhar explosion model with mass 1.02 M and no central stable Fe does not reproduce the observed line ratios. A mock model where neutron-rich Fe-group species are located above 56 Ni following recent suggestions is also shown to yield spectra that are less compatible with the observations. The densities and abundances in the inner layers obtained from the nebular analysis, combined with those of the outer layers previously obtained, are used to compute a synthetic bolometric light curve, which compares favourably with the light curve of SN 2011fe.

Description: The optical and optical/near-infrared pseudo-bolometric light curves of 85 stripped-envelope supernovae (SNe) are constructed using a consistent method and a standard cosmology. The light curves are analysed to derive temporal characteristics and peak luminosity L p , enabling the construction of a luminosity function. Subsequently, the mass of 56 Ni synthesized in the explosion, along with the ratio of ejecta mass to ejecta kinetic energy, are found. Analysis shows that host-galaxy extinction is an important factor in accurately determining luminosity values as it is significantly greater than Galactic extinction in most cases. It is found that broad-lined SNe Ic (SNe Ic-BL) and gamma-ray burst SNe are the most luminous subtypes with a combined median L p , in erg s –1 , of log( L p ) = 43.00 compared to 42.51 for SNe Ic, 42.50 for SNe Ib, and 42.36 for SNe IIb. It is also found that SNe Ic-BL synthesize approximately twice the amount of 56 Ni compared with SNe Ic, Ib, and IIb, with median M Ni = 0.34, 0.16, 0.14, and 0.11 M , respectively. SNe Ic-BL, and to a lesser extent SNe Ic, typically rise from L p /2 to L p more quickly than SNe Ib/IIb; consequently, their light curves are not as broad.

Description: The supernova (SN) PTF11iqb was initially classified as a Type IIn event caught very early after explosion. It showed narrow Wolf–Rayet (WR) spectral features on day 2 (as in SN 1998S and SN 2013cu), but the narrow emission weakened quickly and the spectrum morphed to resemble Types II-L and II-P. At late times, Hα exhibited a complex, multipeaked profile reminiscent of SN 1998S. In terms of spectroscopic evolution, we find that PTF11iqb was a near twin of SN 1998S, although with somewhat weaker interaction with circumstellar material (CSM) at early times, and stronger interaction at late times. We interpret the spectral changes as caused by early interaction with asymmetric CSM that is quickly (by day 20) enveloped by the expanding SN ejecta photosphere, but then revealed again after the end of the plateau when the photosphere recedes. The light curve can be matched with a simple model for CSM interaction (with a mass-loss rate of roughly 10 –4  M  yr –1 ) added to the light curve of a normal SN II-P. The underlying plateau requires a progenitor with an extended hydrogen envelope like a red supergiant at the moment of explosion, consistent with the slow wind speed (〈80 km s –1 ) inferred from narrow Hα emission. The cool supergiant progenitor is significant because PTF11iqb showed WR features in its early spectrum – meaning that the presence of such WR features does not necessarily indicate a WR-like progenitor. Overall, PTF11iqb bridges SNe IIn with weaker pre-SN mass-loss seen in SNe II-L and II-P, implying a continuum between these types.

Description: We examine the late-time ( t 200 d after peak brightness) spectra of Type Iax supernovae (SNe Iax), a low-luminosity, low-energy class of thermonuclear stellar explosions observationally similar to, but distinct from, Type Ia supernovae. We present new spectra of SN 2014dt, resulting in the most complete late-time spectral sequence of an SN Iax. At late times, SNe Iax have generally similar spectra, all with a similar continuum shape and strong forbidden-line emission. However, there is also significant diversity where some SN Iax spectra display narrow P-Cygni features from permitted lines and a continuum indicative of a photosphere at late times in addition to strong narrow (FWHM 〈 3500 km s –1 ) forbidden lines, others have no obvious P-Cygni features, strong broad (FWHM 〉 6000 km s –1 ) forbidden lines, and weak narrow forbidden lines, and some SNe Iax have spectra intermediate to these two varieties. We find that SNe Iax with strong broad forbidden lines are more luminous and have higher velocity ejecta at peak brightness. We estimate blackbody and kinematic radii of the late-time photosphere, finding the latter significantly larger than the former. We propose a two-component model that solves this discrepancy and explains the diversity of the late-time spectra of SNe Iax. In this model, the broad forbidden lines originate from the SN ejecta, while the photosphere, P-Cygni lines, and narrow forbidden lines originate from a wind launched from the remnant of the progenitor white dwarf and is driven by the radioactive decay of newly synthesized material left in the remnant. The relative strength of the two components accounts for the diversity of late-time SN Iax spectra. This model also solves the puzzle of a long-lived photosphere and the slow late-time decline of SNe Iax.

Description: Ultraviolet (UV) observations of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) probe the outermost layers of the explosion, and UV spectra of SNe Ia are expected to be extremely sensitive to differences in progenitor composition and the details of the explosion. Here, we present the first study of a sample of high signal-to-noise ratio SN Ia spectra that extend blueward of 2900 Å. We focus on spectra taken within 5 d of maximum brightness. Our sample of 10 SNe Ia spans, the majority of the parameter space of SN Ia optical diversity. We find that SNe Ia have significantly more diversity in the UV than in the optical, with the spectral variance continuing to increase with decreasing wavelengths until at least 1800 Å (the limit of our data). The majority of the UV variance correlates with optical light-curve shape, while there are no obvious and unique correlations between spectral shape and either ejecta velocity or host-galaxy morphology. Using light-curve shape as the primary variable, we create a UV spectral model for SNe Ia at peak brightness. With the model, we can examine how individual SNe vary relative to expectations based on only their light-curve shape. Doing this, we confirm an excess of flux for SN 2011fe at short wavelengths, consistent with its progenitor having a subsolar metallicity. While most other SNe Ia do not show large deviations from the model, ASASSN-14lp has a deficit of flux at short wavelengths, suggesting that its progenitor was relatively metal rich.

Description: We present an optical nebular spectrum of the nearby Type Ia supernova 2011fe, obtained 981 d after explosion. SN 2011fe exhibits little evolution since the +593 d optical spectrum, but there are several curious aspects in this new extremely late-time regime. We suggest that the persistence of the ~5800 Å feature is due to Na I D, and that a new emission feature at ~7300 Å may be [Ca II]. Also, we discuss whether the new emission feature at ~6400 Å might be [Fe I] or the high-velocity hydrogen predicted by Mazzali et al. The nebular feature at 5200 Å exhibits a linear velocity evolution of ~350 km s – 1 per 100 d from at least +220 to +980 d, but the line's shape also changes in this time, suggesting that line blending contributes to the evolution. At ~1000 d after explosion, flux from the SN has declined to a point where contribution from a luminous secondary could be detected. In this work, we make the first observational tests for a post-impact remnant star and constrain its temperature and luminosity to T 10 4 K and L 10 4 L . Additionally, we do not see any evidence for narrow H α emission in our spectrum. We conclude that observations continue to strongly exclude many single-degenerate scenarios for SN 2011fe.

Description: We searched through roughly 12 years of archival survey data acquired by the Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT) as part of the Lick Observatory Supernova Search in order to detect or place limits on possible progenitor outbursts of Type IIn supernovae (SNe IIn). The KAIT data base contains multiple pre-SN images for five SNe IIn (plus one ambiguous case of an SN IIn/imposter) within 50 Mpc. No progenitor outbursts are found using the false discovery rate statistical method in any of our targets. Instead, we derive limiting magnitudes (LMs) at the locations of the SNe. These LMs (typically reaching m R   19.5 mag) are compared to outbursts of SN 2009ip and Car, plus additional simulated outbursts. We find that the data for SN 1999el and SN 2003dv are of sufficient quality to rule out events ~40 d before the main peak caused by initially faint SNe from blue supergiant precursor stars, as in the cases of SN 2009ip and SN 2010mc. These SNe IIn may thus have arisen from red supergiant progenitors, or they may have had a more rapid onset of circumstellar matter interaction. We also estimate the probability of detecting at least one outburst in our data set to be 60% for each type of the example outbursts, so the lack of any detections suggests that such outbursts are either typically less luminous (intrinsically or owing to dust) than ~–13 mag, or not very common among SNe IIn within a few years prior to explosion.