Using the latest generation of adaptive optics imaging systems together with laser guide stars on 8m-class telescopes, we are finally revealing the previously-hidden population of supernovae in starburst galaxies. Finding these supernovae and measuri
ng the amount of absorption due to dust is crucial to being able to accurately trace the star formation history of our Universe. Our images of the host galaxies are amongst the sharpest ever obtained from the ground, and reveal much about how and why these galaxies are forming massive stars (that become supernovae) at such a prodigious rate.
We have measured the correlation between the locations of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) and host galaxy light in the Ha line, near ultraviolet (NUV), R-band and Ks-band to constrain the progenitors of CCSNe using pixel statistics. Our sample consi
sts of 86 CCSNe in 57 infrared (IR)-bright galaxies, of which many are starbursts and ten are luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs). We also analyse the radial distribution of CCSNe in these galaxies, and determine power-law and exponential fits to CCSN surface density profiles. To probe differences between the SNe of these galaxies and normal spiral galaxies, our results were compared to previous studies with samples dominated by normal spiral galaxies where possible. We obtained a normalised scale length of 0.23^{+0.03}_{-0.02} R_25 for the CCSN surface density in IR-bright galaxies; less than that derived for CCSNe in a sample dominated by normal spiral galaxies (0.29 pm 0.01). This reflects a more centrally concentrated population of massive stars in IR-bright galaxies. Furthermore, this centralisation is dominated by a central excess of type Ibc/IIb SNe. This may be due to a top-heavy initial mass function and/or an enhanced close binary fraction in regions of enhanced star formation. Type Ic SNe are most strongly correlated with Ha light and NUV-bright regions, reflecting the shortest lifetime and thus highest mass for type Ic progenitors. Previous studies with samples dominated by normal spiral galaxies have indicated a lower Ibc-Ha correlation than our results do, which may be due to the central excess of type Ibc/IIb SNe in our sample. The difference between types II and Ib is minimal, suggesting that progenitor mass is not the dominant factor in determining if a SN is of type Ib or II. Similar differences in correlation can be seen in the Ks-band, with type Ibc/IIb SNe tracing the Ks-band light better than type II in our sample.
