Related papers: Supernova SN2006gy as a first ever Quark Nova?

The only supernovae (SNe) to have shown early gamma-ray or X-ray emission thus far are overenergetic, broad-lined Type Ic SNe (Hypernovae - HNe). Recently, SN 2008D shows several novel features: (i) weak XRF, (ii) an early, narrow optical…

We present Keck optical spectra of SN 2002cx, the most peculiar known Type Ia supernova (SN Ia), taken 227 and 277 days past maximum light. Astonishingly, the spectra are not dominated by the forbidden emission lines of iron that are a…

Much uncertainty surrounds the origin of super-luminous supernovae (SNe). Motivated by the discovery of the Type Ic SN2007bi, we study its proposed association with a pair-instability SN (PISN). We compute stellar-evolution models for…

Classical novae are phenomena caused by explosive hydrogen burning on an accreting white dwarf. So far, only one classical nova has been identified in X-rays before the actual optical outburst occurred (V2487 Oph). The recently discovered…

Some reports of supernova (SN) discoveries turn out not to be true core-collapse explosions. One such case was SN 2009ip, which was recognized to be a luminous blue variable (LBV) eruption. This source had a massive hot progenitor star…

We present extensive radio observations of SN 2003L, the most luminous and energetic Type Ic radio supernova with the exception of SN 1998bw. Using radio data, we are able to constrain the physical parameters of the supernova, including the…

Observational consequences of a jet-driven supernova (SN) explosion model are presented. The results are compared in detail with optical observations of SN 1998bw associated with a Gamma-Ray Burst. It is shown that the jet model is able to…

Recent searches by unbiased, wide-field surveys have uncovered a group of extremely luminous optical transients. The initial discoveries of SN 2005ap by the Texas Supernova Search and SCP-06F6 in a deep Hubble pencil beam survey were…

Context: Optical nova lightcurves often have structures, such as rapid declines and recoveries, due to nebular or dusty phases of the ejecta. Nova Cygni 2006 (V2362 Cyg) underwent an unusual brightening after an early rapid decline. The…

A mechanism is proposed for synchronizing core-collapse supernova with a recent loss of a red supergiant (RSG) envelope in the common envelope regime. A perequisite for the synchronization is a moderate RSG expansion during final decade.…

Wide-field surveys are discovering a growing number of rare transients whose physical origin is not yet well understood. Here, we present optical and UV data and analysis of iPTF16asu, a luminous, rapidly-evolving, high velocity,…

In February 2006, Swift caught a GRB in the act of turning into a supernova, and made the first ever direct observations of the break-out and early expansion of a supernova shock wave. GRB 060218 began with an exceptionally long burst of…

We present extensive datasets for a class of intermediate-luminosity optical transients known as "luminous red novae" (LRNe). They show double-peaked light curves, with an initial rapid luminosity rise to a blue peak (at -13 to -15 mag),…

We present observations and interpretation of the Type IIn supernova SN 2008am discovered by the ROTSE Supernova Verification Project (RSVP). SN 2008am peaked at approximately -22.3 mag at a redshift of z=0.2338, giving it a peak luminosity…

We present extensive optical (UBVRI), near-infrared (JK) light curves and optical spectroscopy of the Type Ia supernova (SN) 2006X in the nearby galaxy NGC 4321 (M100). Our observations suggest that either SN 2006X has an intrinsically…

We present optical and near infrared observations of the type IIb supernova (SN) 2011fu from a few days to $\sim300$ d after explosion. The SN presents a double-peaked light curve (LC) similar to that of SN 1993J, although more luminous and…

We show that the explosive transition of the neutron star (NS) to a quark star (QS) (a Quark Nova) in Cassiopeia A (Cas A) a few days following the SN proper can account for several of the puzzling kinematic and nucleosynthetic features…

We present photometric and spectroscopic data of the peculiar SN 2005la, an object which shows an optical light curve with some luminosity fluctuations and spectra with comparably strong narrow hydrogen and helium lines, probably of…

The luminous Type IIn Supernova (SN) 2010jl shows strong evidence for the interaction of the SN ejecta with dense circumstellar material (CSM). We present observations of SN 2010jl for $t \sim 900$ d after its earliest detection, including…

We present extensive optical observations of the normal Type Ic supernova (SN) 2007gr, spanning from about one week before maximum light to more than one year thereafter. The optical light and color curves of SN 2007gr are very similar to…