Related papers: Massive star evolution: Luminous Blue Variables as…

Since the discovery of SN (supernova) 1987A, the number of Type II-peculiar SNe has grown, revealing a rich diversity in photometric and spectroscopic properties. In this study, using a single 15Msun low-metallicity progenitor that dies as…

The study of the stars that explode as supernovae used to be a forensic study, working backwards from the remnants of the star. This changed in 1987 when the first progenitor star was identified in pre-explosion images. Currently there are…

Luminous blue variables (LBVs) are expected to play an important role in massive stellar evolution as well as being the progenitors of some of the most luminous supernovae known. In this paper we provide a multiwavelength study of the…

Massive evolved stars in transition phases, such as Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs), B[e] Supergiants (B[e]SGs), and Yellow Hypergiants (YHGs), are not well understood, and yet crucial steps in determining accurate stellar and galactic…

If a massive star has lost significant mass during its red-supergiant stage, it would return to blue region in the HR diagram and spend a part of the core-He burning stage as a blue supergiant having a luminosity to mass ratio (L/M)…

Very massive stars in the final phases of their lives often show unpredictable outbursts that can mimic supernovae, so-called, "SN impostors", but the distinction is not always straigthforward. Here we present observations of a luminous…

The interaction between supernova ejecta and circumstellar matter, arising from previous episodes of mass loss, provides us with a means with which to constrain the progenitors of supernovae. Radio observations of a number of supernovae…

Massive stars, supernovae (SNe), and long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have a huge impact on their environment. Despite their importance, a comprehensive knowledge of which massive stars produce which SN/GRB is hitherto lacking. We…

How massive stars end their lives remains an open question in the field of star evolution. While the majority of stars above 9 M_sun will become red supergiants (RSGs), the terminal state of these massive stars can be heavily influenced by…

Very massive stars occasionally expel material in colossal eruptions, driven by continuum radiation pressure rather than blast waves. Some of them rival supernovae in total radiative output, and the mass loss is crucial for subsequent…

Massive stars less massive than ~30 Msol evolve into a red supergiant after the main sequence. Given a standard IMF, this means about 80% of all single massive stars will experience this phase. RSGs are dominated by convection, with a…

The death of massive stars produces a variety of supernovae, which are linked to the structure of the exploding stars. The detection of several precursor stars of Type II supernovae have been reported, however we do not yet have direct…

I discuss outstanding questions about the formation of the ring nebula around SN1987A and some implications of similar ring nebulae around Galactic B supergiants. There are notable obstacles for the formation of SN1987A's bipolar nebula…

Here we examine 12 Galactic clusters and OB associations containing Wolf-Rayet stars (W-Rs) and/or Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs), in order to assess the progentor masses of these evolved massive stars. We find that in the Milky Way,…

Giant eruptions (GE) in Luminous blue variables (LBVs) are years to decades-long episodes of enhanced mass loss from the outer layers of the star during which the star undergoes major changes in its physical and observed properties. We use…

There has been mounting observational evidence in favour of Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs) being the direct progenitors of supernovae. Here we present possibly the most convincing evidence yet for such progenitors. We find multiple…

The bright, nearby, recently discovered supernova SN2010jl is a member of the rare class of relatively luminous Type~IIn events. Here we report archival HST observations of its host galaxy UGC5189A taken roughly 10yr prior to explosion, as…

Core-collapse supernova (SN) explosions mark the end of the tumultuous life of massive stars. Determining the nature of their progenitors is a crucial step towards understanding the properties of SNe. Until recently, no progenitor has been…

We will present results of studies of several massive stars at different evolutionary stages, but with similar values of the initial mass: O-supergiants belonging to association Cyg OB2, unique LBV/post-LBV - Romano's star and two…

SN 2005kd is among the most luminous supernovae (SNe) to be discovered at X-ray wavelengths. We have re-analysed all good angular resolution (better than $20"$ FWHM PSF) archival X-ray data for SN 2005kd. The data reveal an X-ray light…