SN2008am: An over Luminous Type-IIn Supernova at a Redshift of 0.234

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

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We discuss our observations and preliminary results on the recent Type IIn supernova SN 2008am discovered by the ROTSE RSVP program. SN 2008am peaked at MR=-22.3 at a redshift of z=0.234, approximately 50 rest-frame days after the explosion, making it one of the most luminous supernovae ever observed. We obtained photometric observations all the way from the ultraviolet (Swift UVOT) to the optical (P60) and infrared bands (J,H,K PAIRITEL) which helped us constrain the SED evolution of the supernova. We also obtained five Keck and HET-LRS optical spectra within the first year after maxmimum. The optical light curve of SN 2008am shows a very slow decay at late times ( 0.006 mag/d), which is slightly slower than the expected decay of cobalt (0.01 mag/d). The spectrum of SN 2008am shows strong narrow hydrogen features in emission as well as helium (He I 5876A) emission in the first 40 rest frame days after optical maximum. These features suggest an ejecta-circumstellar matter (CSM) interaction interpretation to account for the large total radiated energy ( 2 x1051 ergs). Models in which the supernova is powered only by the radioactive decay of nickel or by a progenitor that suffered pair-instability in its core are inconsistent. We propose a model for SN 2008am in which the pseudo-bolometric light curve is powered by the interaction of the ejecta the CSM envelope.

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