An Unusually Fast-Evolving Supernova
Abstract
Analyses of supernovae (SNe) have revealed two main types of progenitors: exploding white dwarfs and collapsing massive stars. We present SN2002bj, which stands out as different from any SN reported to date. Its light curve rises and declines very rapidly, yet reaches a peak intrinsic brightness greater than -18 mag. A spectrum obtained 7 days after discovery shows the presence of helium and intermediate-mass elements, yet no clear hydrogen or iron-peak elements. The spectrum only barely resembles that of a Type Ia supernova, with added carbon and helium. Its properties suggest that SN2002bj may be representative of a class of progenitors that previously has been only hypothesized: a helium detonation on a white dwarf, ejecting a small envelope of material. New surveys should find many such objects, despite their scarcity.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0911.2699,
title = {An Unusually Fast-Evolving Supernova},
author = {Dovi Poznanski and Ryan Chornock and Peter E. Nugent and Joshua S. Bloom and Alexei V. Filippenko and Mohan Ganeshalingam and Douglas C. Leonard and Weidong Li and Rollin C. Thomas},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0911.2699},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
Science in press, first published online on Nov 5, 2009 in Science Express. Includes supporting online material