Determining the main-sequence mass of Type II supernova progenitors

Details Determining the main-sequence mass of Type II supernova progenitors Determining the main-sequence mass of Type II supernova progenitors

2010-06-11

arxiv.org/abs/1006.2268v1

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

accepted to MNRAS

Scientific paper

We present radiation-hydrodynamics simulations of core-collapse supernova (SN) explosions, artificially generated by driving a piston at the base of the envelope of a rotating or non-rotating red-supergiant progenitor star. We search for trends in ejecta kinematics in the resulting Type II-Plateau (II-P) SN, exploring dependencies with explosion energy and pre-SN stellar-evolution model. We recover the trivial result that larger explosion energies yield larger ejecta velocities in a given progenitor. However, we emphasise that for a given explosion energy, the increasing helium-core mass with main-sequence mass of such Type II-P SN progenitors leads to ejection of core-embedded oxygen-rich material at larger velocities. We find that the photospheric velocity at 15d after shock breakout is a good and simple indicator of the explosion energy in our selected set of pre-SN models. This measurement, combined with the width of the nebular-phase OI6303-6363A line, can be used to place an upper-limit on the progenitor main-sequence mass. Using the results from our simulations, we find that the current, but remarkably scant, late-time spectra of Type II-P SNe support progenitor main-sequence masses inferior to ~20Msun and thus, corroborate the inferences based on the direct, but difficult, progenitor identification in pre-explosion images. The narrow width of OI6303-6363A in Type II-P SNe with nebular spectra does not support high-mass progenitors in the range 25-30Msun. Combined with quantitative spectroscopic modelling, such diagnostics offer a means to constrain the main-sequence mass of the progenitor, the mass fraction of the core ejected, and thus, the mass of the compact remnant formed.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Determining the main-sequence mass of Type II supernova progenitors does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Determining the main-sequence mass of Type II supernova progenitors, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Determining the main-sequence mass of Type II supernova progenitors will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-77407