No Arabic abstract
Aims: To gain better insight on the physics of stripped-envelope core-collapse supernovae through studying their environments. Methods: We obtained low-resolution optical spectroscopy with the New Technology Telescope (+ EFOSC2) at the locations of 20 Type Ib/c supernovae. We measure the flux of emission lines in the stellar-continuum-subtracted spectra from which local metallicities are computed. For the supernova regions we estimate both the mean stellar age, interpreting the stellar absorption with population synthesis models, and the age of the youngest stellar populations using the H-alpha equivalent width as an age indicator. These estimates are compared with the lifetimes of single massive stars. Results: Based on our sample, we detect a tentative indication that Type Ic supernovae might explode in environments that are more metal-rich than those of Type Ib supernovae (average difference of 0.08 dex), but this is not a statistically significant result. The lower limits placed on the ages of the supernova birthplaces are overall young, although there are several cases where these appear older than what is expected for the evolution of single stars more massive than 25-30 M_{sun}. This is only true, however, assuming that the supernova progenitors were born during an instantaneous (not continuous) episode of star formation. Conclusions: These results do not conclusively favor any of the two evolutionary paths (single or binary) leading to stripped supernovae. We do note a fraction of events for which binary evolution is more likely, due to their associated age limits. The fact, however, that the supernova environments contain areas of recent (< 15 Myr) star formation and that the environmental metallicities are, at least, not against the single evolutionary scenario, suggest that this channel is also broadly consistent with the observations.
We present spectropolarimetric observations of the peculiar Type Ib/c SN 2005bf, in MCG+00-27-005, from 3600-8550AA. The SN was observed on 2005 April 30.9, 18 days after the first B-band light-curve maximum and 6 days before the second B-band light-curve maximum. The degree of the Interstellar Polarization, determined from depolarized emission lines in the spectrum, is found to be large with $p_{max}(ISP)=1.6%$ and $theta(ISP)=149$fdg$7pm4.0$, but this may be an upper limit on the real value of the ISP. After ISP subtraction, significant polarization is observed over large wavelength regions, indicating a significant degree of global asymmetry, $gtrsim 10%$. Polarizations of 3.5% and 4% are observed for absorption components of Ca II H&K and IR triplet, and 1.3% for He I 5876AA and Fe II. On the $Q-U$ plane clear velocity-dependent loop structure is observed for the He I 5876AA line, suggestive of departures from an axial symmetry and possible clumping of the SN ejecta. Weak High Velocity components of $mathrm{Halpha}$, $mathrm{Hbeta}$ and $mathrm{Hgamma}$ are observed, with velocities of -15 000kms. The low degree of polarization observed at H$beta$ suggests that the polarization observed for the other Balmer lines ($sim 0.4%$ above the background polarization) may rather be due to blending of $mathrm{Halpha}$ and $mathrm{Hgamma}$ with polarized Si II and Fe II lines, respectively. We suggest a model in which a jet of material, that is rich in $mathrm{^{56}Ni}$, has penetrated the C-O core, but not the He mantle. The jet axis is tilted with respect to the axis of the photosphere. This accounts for the lack of significant polarization of O I 7774AA, the delayed excitation and, hence, observability of He I and, potentially, the varied geometries of He and Ca.
Photometric and spectroscopic analyses of the intermediate-luminosity Type Ib supernova (SN) 2015ap and of the heavily reddened Type Ib SN~2016bau are discussed. Photometric properties of the two SNe, such as colour evolution, bolometric luminosity, photospheric radius, temperature, and velocity evolution, are also constrained. The ejecta mass, synthesised nickel mass, and kinetic energy of the ejecta are calculated from their light-curve analysis. We also model and compare the spectra of SN~2015ap and SN~2016bau at various stages of their evolution. The P~Cygni profiles of various lines present in the spectra are used to determine the velocity evolution of the ejecta. To account for the observed photometric and spectroscopic properties of the two SNe, we have computed 12,$M_odot$ zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) star models and evolved them until the onset of core collapse using the publicly available stellar-evolution code {tt MESA}. Synthetic explosions were produced using the public version of {tt STELLA} and another publicly available code, {tt SNEC}, utilising the {tt MESA} models. {tt SNEC} and {tt STELLA} provide various observable properties such as the bolometric luminosity and velocity evolution. The parameters produced by {tt SNEC}/{tt STELLA} and our observations show close agreement with each other, thus supporting a 12,$M_odot$ ZAMS star as the possible progenitor for SN~2015ap, while the progenitor of SN~2016bau is slightly less massive, being close to the boundary between SN and non-SN as the final product.
The supernovae of Type Ibc are rare and the detailed characteristics of these explosions have been studied only for a few events. Unlike Type II SNe, the progenitors of Type Ibc have never been detected in pre-explosion images. So, to understand the nature of their progenitors and the characteristics of the explosions, investigation of proximate events are necessary. Here we present the results of multi-wavelength observations of Type Ib SN 2007uy in the nearby ($sim$ 29.5 Mpc) galaxy NGC 2770. Analysis of the photometric observations revealed this explosion as an energetic event with peak absolute R band magnitude $-18.5pm0.16$, which is about one mag brighter than the mean value ($-17.6pm0.6$) derived for well observed Type Ibc events. The SN is highly extinguished, E(B-V) = 0.63$pm$0.15 mag, mainly due to foreground material present in the host galaxy. From optical light curve modeling we determine that about 0.3 M$_{odot}$ radioactive $^{56}$Ni is produced and roughly 4.4 M$_{odot}$ material is ejected during this explosion with liberated energy $sim 15times10^{51}$ erg, indicating the event to be an energetic one. Through optical spectroscopy, we have noticed a clear aspheric evolution of several line forming regions, but no dependency of asymmetry is seen on the distribution of $^{56}$Ni inside the ejecta. The SN shock interaction with the circumburst material is clearly noticeable in radio follow-up, presenting a Synchrotron Self Absorption (SSA) dominated light curve with a contribution of Free Free Absorption (FFA) during the early phases. Assuming a WR star, with wind velocity $ga 10^3 {rm km s}^{-1}$, as a progenitor, we derive a lower limit to the mass loss rate inferred from the radio data as $dot{M} ga 2.4times10^{-5}$ M$_{odot}$, yr$^{-1}$, which is consistent with the results obtained for other Type Ibc SNe bright at radio frequencies.
We present extensive observations of the Type Ib/c SN2013ge from -13 to +457 days, including spectra and Swift UV-optical photometry beginning 2-4 days post-explosion. This data set makes SN2013ge one of the best observed normal Type Ib/c SN at early times---when the light curve is particularly sensitive to the progenitor configuration and mixing of radioactive elements---and reveals two distinct light curve components in the UV bands. The first component rises over 4-5 days and is visible for the first week post-explosion. Spectra of the first component have blue continua and show a plethora of high velocity (~15,000 km/s) but narrow (~3500 km/s) features, indicating that the line-forming region is restricted. The explosion parameters estimated for the bulk explosion are standard for Type Ib/c SN, and there is evidence for weak He features at early times. In addition, SN2013ge exploded in a low metallicity environment and we have obtained some of the deepest radio and X-ray limits for a Type Ib/c SN to date, which constrain the progenitor mass-loss rate. We are left with two distinct progenitor scenarios for SN2013ge, depending on our interpretation of the early emission. If the first component is cooling envelope emission, then the progenitor of SN2013ge either possessed a low-mass extended envelope or ejected a portion of its envelope in the final <1 year before core-collapse. Alternatively, if the first component is due to outwardly mixed Ni-56, then our observations are consistent with the asymmetric ejection of a distinct clump of nickel-rich material at high velocities. Current models for the collision of a SN shock with a binary companion cannot reproduce both the timescale and luminosity of the early emission in SN2013ge. Finally, the spectra of the first component of SN2013ge are similar to those of the rapidly-declining SN2002bj.
The interaction between the expanding supernova (SN) ejecta with the circumstellar material (CSM) that was expelled from the progenitor prior to explosion is a long-sought phenomenon, yet observational evidence is scarce. Here we confirm a new example: SN 2004dk, originally a hydrogen-poor, helium-rich Type Ib SN that reappeared as a strong H$alpha$-emitting point-source on narrowband H$alpha$ images. We present follow-up optical spectroscopy that reveals the presence of a broad H$alpha$ component with full width at half maximum of ~290 km/s in addition to the narrow H$alpha$ +[NII] emission features from the host galaxy. Such a broad component is a clear sign of an ejecta-CSM interaction. We also present observations with the XMM-Newton Observatory, the Swift satellite, and the Chandra X-ray Observatory that span 10 days to 15 years after discovery. The detection of strong radio, X-ray, and H$alpha$ emission years after explosion allows various constraints to be put on pre-SN mass-loss processes. We present a wind-bubble model in which the CSM is pre-prepared by a fast wind interacting with a slow wind. Much of the outer density profile into which the SN explodes corresponds to no steady-state mass-loss process. We estimate that the shell of compressed slow wind material was ejected ~1400 yr prior to explosion, perhaps during carbon burning, and that the SN shock had swept up about 0.04 M_sun of material. The region emitting the H$alpha$ has a density of order $10^{-20}$ g/cc.