Related papers: Massive star evolution: Luminous Blue Variables as…
Cao et al. (2013) reported a possible progenitor detection for the type Ib supernovae iPTF13bvn for the first time. We find that the progenitor is in fact brighter than the magnitudes previously reported by approximately 0.7 to 0.2 mag with…
We present the results of spectroscopy and multi-wavelength photometry of luminous and variable star candidates in the nearby spiral galaxies NGC 2403 and M81. We discuss specific classes of stars, the Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs), B[e]…
We perform binary stellar evolutionary calculations following the simultaneous evolution of both stars in the system to study a potential progenitor system for the Type IIb supernova 2011dh. Pre-explosion photometry as well as light-curve…
The detection of supernova features in the late spectra of several gamma-ray burst afterglows has shown that at least a fraction of long-duration gamma-ray bursts are associated to the final evolutionary stages of massive stars. Such direct…
The progenitors of core-collapse supernovae are stars with an initial mass greater than about 8M(sun). Understanding the evolution of these stars is necessary to comprehend the evolution and differences between supernovae. We have…
We present new spectroscopic and photometric data of the type Ibn supernovae 2006jc, 2000er and 2002ao. We discuss the general properties of this recently proposed supernova family, which also includes SN 1999cq. The early-time monitoring…
A massive star can enter the blue supergiant region either evolving directly from the main-sequence, or evolving from a previous red supergiant stage. The fractions of the blue supergiants having different histories depend on the internal…
We present observations of SN2009hd in the nearby galaxy M66. This SN is one of the closest to us in recent years but heavily obscured by dust, rendering it unusually faint in the optical, given its proximity. We find that the observed…
A source coincident with the position of the type IIb supernova (SN) 2008ax is identified in pre-explosion Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 observations in three optical filters. We identify and constrain two…
The study of core-collapse supernova remnants (SNRs) presents a fascinating puzzle, with intricate morphologies and a non-uniform distribution of stellar debris. Particularly, young remnants (aged less than 5000 years) hold immense value as…
Massive stars evolve toward the catastrophic collapse of their innermost core, producing core-collapse supernova (SN) explosions as the end products. White dwarfs, formed through evolution of the less massive stars, also explode as…
We investigate the possibility of a supernova in supermassive ($5 \times 10^4 \;M_\odot$) population III stars induced by a general relativistic instability occurring in the helium burning phase. This explosion could occur via rapid helium…
A rare class of `super-luminous' supernovae that are about ten or more times more luminous at their peaks than other types of luminous supernovae has recently been found at low to intermediate redshifts. A small subset of these events have…
Luminous blue variables are an intermediate stage in the evolution of high-mass stars characterized by extreme mass loss and substantial variability. The stars show large irregular episodic variations on timescales of years to decades in…
Mass loss from massive stars ($\ga 8 \msun$) can result in the formation of circumstellar wind blown cavities surrounding the star, bordered by a thin, dense, cold shell. When the star explodes as a core-collapse supernova (SN), the…
I summarize what we have learned about the nature of stars that ultimately explode as core-collapse supernovae from the examination of images taken prior to the explosion. By registering pre-supernova and post-supernova images, usually…
Recent work suggests that many luminous blue variables (LBVs) and B[e] supergiants (sgB[e]) are isolated, implying that they may be products of massive binaries, kicked by partner supernovae (SNe). However, the evidence is somewhat complex…
The massive star origins for Type IIP supernovae (SNe) have been established through direct detection of their red supergiants progenitors in pre-explosion observations; however, there has been limited success in the detection of the…
Red supergiants have been confirmed as the progenitor stars of the majority of hydrogen-rich type II supernovae. However, while such stars are observed with masses >25M$_\odot$, detections of >18M$_\odot$ progenitors remain elusive. Red…
Most stars will experience episodes of substantial mass loss at some point in their lives. For very massive stars, mass loss dominates their evolution, although the mass loss rates are not known exactly, particularly once the star has left…