Elena I. Sorokina

Theoretical light curves for deflagration models of Type Ia supernova

Aims. We present synthetic bolometric and broad-band UBVRI light curves of SNe Ia for four selected 3D deflagration models of thermonuclear supernovae. Methods. The light curves are computed with the 1D hydro code stella, which models (multi-group time-dependent) nonequilibrium radiative transfer inside SN ejecta. Angle-averaged results from 3D hydrodynamical explosion simulations with the composition determined in a nucleosynthetic postprocessing step served as the input to the radiative transfer model. Results. The predicted model UBV light curves do agree reasonably well with the observed ones for SNe Ia in the range of low to normal luminosities, although the underlying hydrodynamical explosion models produced only a modest amount of radioactive 56 Ni (i.e. ∼0.24–0.42 M� ) and relatively low kinetic energy in the explosion (less than 0.7 × 10 51 erg). The evolution of predicted B and ∞

Supernovae from Red Supergiants with Extensive Mass Loss

We calculate multicolour light curves (LCs) of supernovae (SNe) from red supergiants (RSGs) that have exploded within a dense circumstellar medium (CSM). Multicolour LCs are calculated by using the multigroup radiation hydrodynamics code STELLA. If the CSM is dense enough, the shock breakout signal is delayed and smeared by the CSM and the kinetic energy of SN ejecta is efficiently converted to thermal energy, which is eventually released as radiation. We find that explosions of RSGs are affected by the CSM in the early epochs, when the mass-loss rate just before the explosions is higher than ∼10 ―4 M ⊙ yr ―1 . Their characteristic features are that the LC has a luminous round peak followed by a flat part, that multicolour LCs are simultaneously bright in both ultraviolet and optical at the peak, and that the photo-spheric velocity is very low at these epochs. We calculate LCs for various CSM conditions and explosion properties, i.e. mass-loss rates, radii of the CSM, density slopes of the CSM, explosion energies of SN ejecta and the SN progenitors contained within, to see their influence. We compare our model LCs with those of ultraviolet-bright Type IIP SN 2009kf and show that the mass-loss rate of the progenitor of SN 2009kf just before the explosion is likely to be higher than 10- 4 M ⊙ yr ―1 . Combined with the fact that SN 2009kf is likely to be an energetic explosion and has large 56 Ni production, which implies that the progenitor of SN 2009kf is a massive RSG, our results indicate that there could be some mechanism to induce extensive mass loss in massive RSGs just before their explosions.

Mass-loss histories of Type IIn supernova progenitors within decades before their explosion

We present results of a systematic study of the mass-loss properties of Type IIn supernova progenitors within decades before their explosion. We apply an analytic light-curve model to 11 Type IIn supernova bolometric light curves to derive the circumstellar medium properties. We reconstruct the mass-loss histories based on the estimated circumstellar medium properties. The estimated mass-loss rates are mostly higher than 10(-3) M-circle dot yr(-1) and they are consistent with those obtained by other methods. The mass-loss rates are often found to be constantly high within decades before their explosion. This indicates that there exists some mechanism to sustain the high mass-loss rates of Type IIn supernova progenitors for at least decades before their explosion. Thus, the shorter eruptive mass-loss events observed in some Type IIn supernova progenitors are not always responsible for creating their dense circumstellar media. In addition, we find that Type IIn supernova progenitors may tend to increase their mass-loss rates as they approach to the time of their explosion. We also show a detailed comparison between our analytic prediction and numerical results.

An analytic bolometric light curve model of interaction-powered supernovae and its application to Type IIn supernovae

We present an analytic model for bolometric light curves which are powered by the interaction between supernova ejecta and a dense circumstellar medium. This model is aimed at modelling Type IIn supernovae to determine the properties of their supernova ejecta and circumstellar medium. Our model is not restricted to the case of steady mass loss and can be applied broadly. We only consider the case in which the optical depth of the unshocked circumstellar medium is not high enough to affect the light curves. We derive the luminosity evolution based on an analytic solution for the evolution of a dense shell created by the interaction. We compare our model bolometric light curves to observed bolometric light curves of three Type IIn supernovae (2005ip, 2006jd, 2010jl) and show that our model can constrain their supernova ejecta and circumstellar medium properties. Our analytic model is supported by numerical light curves from the same initial conditions.

Synthetic light curves of shocked dense circumstellar shells

We numerically investigate light curves (LCs) of shocked circumstellar shells which are suggested to reproduce the observed LC of superluminous SN 2006gy analytically. In the previous analytical model, the effects of the recombination and the bolometric correction on LCs are not taken into account. To see the effects, we perform numerical radiation hydrodynamic calculations of shocked shells by using STELLA, which can numerically treat multigroup radiation transfer with realistic opacities. We show that the effects of the recombination and the bolometric correction are significant and the analytical model should be compare to the bolometric LC instead of a single band LC. We find that shocked circumstellar shells have a rapid LC decline initially because of the adiabatic expansion rather than the luminosity increase and the shocked shells fail to explain the LC properties of SN 2006gy. However, our synthetic LCs are qualitatively similar to those of superluminous SN 2003ma and SN 1988Z and they may be related to shocked circumstellar shells.

Early light curves for Type Ia supernova explosion models

Upcoming high-cadence transient survey programmes will produce a wealth of observational data for Type Ia supernovae. These data sets will contain numerous events detected very early in their evolution, shortly after explosion. Here, we present synthetic light curves, calculated with the radiation hydrodynamical approach Stella for a number of different explosion models, specifically focusing on these first few days after explosion. We show that overall the early light curve evolution is similar for most of the investigated models. Characteristic imprints are induced by radioactive material located close to the surface. However, these are very similar to the signatures expected from ejecta-CSM or ejecta-companion interaction. Apart from the pure deflagration explosion models, none of our synthetic light curves exhibit the commonly assumed power-law rise. We demonstrate that this can lead to substantial errors in the determination of the time of explosion. In summary, we illustrate with our calculations that even with very early data an identification of specific explosion scenarios is challenging, if only photometric observations are available.