Related papers: Supernova SN2006gy as a first ever Quark Nova?
Superluminous supernovae are among the most energetic stellar explosions in the Universe, but their energy sources remain an open question. Here we present long-term observations of one of the closest examples of the hydrogen-poor subclass…
We present optical photometry and spectroscopy of SN2005ip for the first 3yr after discovery, showing an underlying Type II-L SN interacting with a steady wind to yield an unusual Type IIn spectrum. For the first 160d, it had a fast linear…
Supernova (SN) 1998bw and gamma-ray burst (GRB) 980425 offer the first direct evidence that supernovae are the progenitors of some GRBs. However, this burst was unusually dim, smooth and soft compared to other bursts with known afterglows.…
The recent supernova (SN) known as SN 2009ip had dramatic precursor eruptions followed by an even brighter explosion in 2012. Its pre-2012 observations make it the best documented SN progenitor in history, but have fueled debate about the…
I review our current understanding of superluminous supernovae, mysterious events 100 times brighter than conventional stellar explosions.
We show that energy deposited into an expanding supernova remnant by a highly magnetic (B ~ 5 x 10^14 G) neutron star spinning at an initial period of P ~ 2-20 ms can substantially brighten the light curve. For magnetars with parameters in…
Optical and near-infrared observations of the gamma-ray burst GRB 031203, at z = 0.1055, are reported. A very faint afterglow is detected superimposed to the host galaxy in our first infrared JHK observations, carried out ~9 hours after the…
We report on the discovery and initial observations of the energetic type IIn supernova (SN), 2008fz. The optical energy emitted by SN 2008fz (based on the light curve over a 88 day period), is possibly the most ever observed for a…
The spectra of SN 2003dh, identified in the afterglow of GRB030329, are modeled using radiation transport codes. It is shown that SN 2003dh had a high explosion kinetic energy ($\sim 4 \times 10^{52}$ erg in spherical symmetry), making it…
Two recently discovered very luminous supernovae (SNe) present stimulating cases to explore the extents of the available theoretical models. SN 2011kl represents the first detection of a supernova explosion associated with an ultra-long…
Origin of enigmatic line profiles of extremely luminous type IIn supernova SN~2006gy on day 96 is explored. Among conceivable possibilities the most preferred is the model that suggests holes in the optically thick cool dense shell (CDS).…
Two classical novae V1493 Aql and V2362 Cyg were known to exhibit unprecedented large-amplitude rebrightening during the late stage of their evolution. We analyzed common properties in these two light curves. We show that these unusual…
Optical and near-infrared observations of the Type Ic supernova (SN) 2004aw are presented, obtained from day -3 to day +413 with respect to the B-band maximum. The photometric evolution is characterised by a comparatively slow post-maximum…
Supernova 1987A revealed that a blue supergiant (BSG) star can end its life as a core-collapse supernova (SN). SN 1987A and other similar objects exhibit properties that distinguish them from ordinary Type II Plateau (IIP) SNe, whose…
We present photometry and spectroscopy of the slowly evolving superluminous Type IIn SN2015da. SN2015da is extraordinary for its very high peak luminosity, and also for sustaining a high luminosity for several years. Even at 8\,yr after…
During supernova explosions, strange stars with almost bare quark surfaces may be formed. Under certain conditions, these stars could be rapidly spun down by the torque exerted by the fossil disks formed from the fall-back materials. They…
We present extensive multi-wavelength observations of the extremely rapidly declining Type Ic supernova, SN 2005ek. Reaching a peak magnitude of M_R = -17.3 and decaying by ~3 mag in the first 15 days post-maximum, SN 2005ek is among the…
We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of supernova (SN) 2002cx, which reveal it to be unique among all observed type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). SN 2002cx exhibits a SN 1991T-like premaximum spectrum, a SN 1991bg-like…
We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of the nearby Type Ia SN 2019yvq, from its discovery $\sim$1 day after explosion to $\sim$100 days after its peak brightness. This SN exhibits several unusual features, most notably an…
Spectra and light curves of SN 2006gz show the strongest signature of unburned carbon and one of the slowest fading light curves ever seen in a type Ia event (Delta m_15 = 0.69 +/- 0.04). The early-time Si II velocity is low, implying it…