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1. ASASSN-18am/SN 2018gk: an overluminous Type IIb supernova from a massive progenitor

   https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab629  

   Bose, Subhash ; Dong, Subo ; Kochanek, C S ; Stritzinger, M D ; Ashall, Chris ; Benetti, Stefano ; Falco, E ; Filippenko, Alexei V ; Pastorello, Andrea ; Prieto, Jose L ; et al ( March 2021 , Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society)

   null (Ed.)

   ABSTRACT ASASSN-18am/SN 2018gk is a newly discovered member of the rare group of luminous, hydrogen-rich supernovae (SNe) with a peak absolute magnitude of MV ≈ −20 mag that is in between normal core-collapse SNe and superluminous SNe. These SNe show no prominent spectroscopic signatures of ejecta interacting with circumstellar material (CSM), and their powering mechanism is debated. ASASSN-18am declines extremely rapidly for a Type II SN, with a photospheric-phase decline rate of ∼6.0 mag (100 d)−1. Owing to the weakening of H i and the appearance of He i in its later phases, ASASSN-18am is spectroscopically a Type IIb SN with a partially stripped envelope. However, its photometric and spectroscopic evolution shows significant differences from typical SNe IIb. Using a radiative diffusion model, we find that the light curve requires a high synthesized 56Ni mass $M_{\rm Ni} \sim 0.4\, \rm {M_{\odot }}$ and ejecta with high kinetic energy Ekin = (7–10) × 1051 erg. Introducing a magnetar central engine still requires $M_{\rm Ni} \sim 0.3\, \rm {M_{\odot }}$ and Ekin = 3 × 1051 erg. The high 56Ni mass is consistent with strong iron-group nebular lines in its spectra, which are also similar to several SNe Ic-BL with high 56Ni yields. The earliest spectrum shows ‘flash ionization’ features, from which we estimate a mass-loss rate of $\dot{M}\approx 2\times 10^{-4} \, \rm \rm {M_{\odot }}\,yr^{-1}$. This wind density is too low to power the luminous light curve by ejecta–CSM interaction. We measure expansion velocities as high as 17 000 $\rm {\, km\, s^{-1}}$ for Hα, which is remarkably high compared to other SNe II. We estimate an oxygen core mass of 1.8–3.4 M⊙ using the [O i] luminosity measured from a nebular-phase spectrum, implying a progenitor with a zero-age main-sequence mass of 19–26 M⊙. 

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2. The Optical Light Curve of GRB 221009A: The Afterglow and the Emerging Supernova

   https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/acc101  

   Fulton, M. D. ; Smartt, S. J. ; Rhodes, L. ; Huber, M. E. ; Villar, V. A. ; Moore, T. ; Srivastav, S. ; Schultz, A. S. ; Chambers, K. C. ; Izzo, L. ; et al ( March 2023 , The Astrophysical Journal Letters)

   Abstract We present extensive optical photometry of the afterglow of GRB 221009A. Our data cover 0.9–59.9 days from the time of Swift and Fermi gamma-ray burst (GRB) detections. Photometry in rizy -band filters was collected primarily with Pan-STARRS and supplemented by multiple 1–4 m imaging facilities. We analyzed the Swift X-ray data of the afterglow and found a single decline rate power law f ( t ) ∝ t −1.556±0.002 best describes the light curve. In addition to the high foreground Milky Way dust extinction along this line of sight, the data favor additional extinction to consistently model the optical to X-ray flux with optically thin synchrotron emission. We fit the X-ray-derived power law to the optical light curve and find good agreement with the measured data up to 5−6 days. Thereafter we find a flux excess in the riy bands that peaks in the observer frame at ∼20 days. This excess shares similar light-curve profiles to the Type Ic broad-lined supernovae SN 2016jca and SN 2017iuk once corrected for the GRB redshift of z = 0.151 and arbitrarily scaled. This may be representative of an SN emerging from the declining afterglow. We measure rest-frame absolute peak AB magnitudes of M g = −19.8 ± 0.6 and M r = − 19.4 ± 0.3 and M z = −20.1 ± 0.3. If this is an SN component, then Bayesian modeling of the excess flux would imply explosion parameters of M ej = 7.1 − 1.7 + 2.4 M ⊙ , M Ni = 1.0 − 0.4 + 0.6 M ⊙ , and v ej = 33,900 − 5700 + 5900 km s −1 , for the ejecta mass, nickel mass, and ejecta velocity respectively, inferring an explosion energy of E kin ≃ 2.6–9.0 × 10 52 erg. 

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3. SN 2021gno: a calcium-rich transient with double-peaked light curves

   https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad2705  

   Ertini, K. ; Folatelli, G. ; Martinez, L. ; Bersten, M. C. ; Anderson, J. P. ; Ashall, C. ; Baron, E. ; Bose, S. ; Brown, P. J. ; Burns, C. ; et al ( September 2023 , Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society)

   We present extensive ultraviolet (UV) and optical photometric and optical spectroscopic follow-up of supernova (SN) 2021gno by the ‘Precision Observations of Infant Supernova Explosions’ (POISE) project, starting less than 2 d after the explosion. Given its intermediate luminosity, fast photometric evolution, and quick transition to the nebular phase with spectra dominated by [Ca ii] lines, SN 2021gno belongs to the small family of Calcium-rich transients. Moreover, it shows double-peaked light curves, a phenomenon shared with only four other Calcium-rich events. The projected distance from the centre of the host galaxy is not as large as other objects in this family. The initial optical light-curve peaks coincide with a very quick decline of the UV flux, indicating a fast initial cooling phase. Through hydrodynamical modelling of the bolometric light curve and line velocity evolution, we found that the observations are compatible with the explosion of a highly stripped massive star with an ejecta mass of $0.8\, M_\odot$ and a 56Ni mass of 0.024 M⊙. The initial cooling phase (first light-curve peak) is explained by the presence of an extended circumstellar material comprising ∼$10^{-2}\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ with an extension of $1100\, R_{\odot }$. We discuss if hydrogen features are present in both maximum-light and nebular spectra, and their implications in terms of the proposed progenitor scenarios for Calcium-rich transients.

    

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4. SN 2015an: a normal luminosity type II supernova with low expansion velocity at early phases

   https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz2703  

   Dastidar, Raya ; Misra, Kuntal ; Valenti, Stefano ; Burke, Jamison ; Hosseinzadeh, Griffin ; Gangopadhyay, Anjasha ; Howell, D Andrew ; Singh, Mridweeka ; Arcavi, Iair ; Kumar, Brijesh ; et al ( December 2019 , Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society)

   ABSTRACT We present the photometry and spectroscopy of SN 2015an, a type II Supernova (SN) in IC 2367. The recombination phase of the SN lasts up to 120 d, with a decline rate of 1.24 mag/100d, higher than the typical SNe IIP. The SN exhibits bluer colours than most SNe II, indicating higher ejecta temperatures. The absolute V-band magnitude of SN 2015an at 50 d is −16.83 ± 0.04 mag, pretty typical for SNe II. However, the 56Ni mass yield, estimated from the tail V-band light curve to be 0.021 ± 0.010 M⊙, is comparatively low. The spectral properties of SN 2015an are atypical, with low H α expansion velocity and presence of high-velocity component of H α at early phases. Moreover, the continuum exhibits excess blue flux up to 50 d, which is interpreted as a progenitor metallicity effect. The high-velocity feature indicates ejecta-circumstellar material interaction at early phases. The semi-analytical modelling of the bolometric light curve yields a total ejected mass of 12 M⊙, a pre-SN radius of 388 R⊙ and explosion energy of 1.8 foe. 

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5. SN 2017ivv: two years of evolution of a transitional Type II supernova

   https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2763  

   Gutiérrez, C P ; Pastorello, A ; Jerkstrand, A ; Galbany, L ; Sullivan, M ; Anderson, J P ; Taubenberger, S ; Kuncarayakti, H ; González-Gaitán, S ; Wiseman, P ; et al ( October 2020 , Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society)

   null (Ed.)

   ABSTRACT We present the photometric and spectroscopic evolution of the Type II supernova (SN II) SN 2017ivv (also known as ASASSN-17qp). Located in an extremely faint galaxy (Mr = −10.3 mag), SN 2017ivv shows an unprecedented evolution during the 2 yr of observations. At early times, the light curve shows a fast rise (∼6−8 d) to a peak of ${\it M}^{\rm max}_{g}= -17.84$ mag, followed by a very rapid decline of 7.94 ± 0.48 mag per 100 d in the V band. The extensive photometric coverage at late phases shows that the radioactive tail has two slopes, one steeper than that expected from the decay of 56Co (between 100 and 350 d), and another slower (after 450 d), probably produced by an additional energy source. From the bolometric light curve, we estimated that the amount of ejected 56Ni is ∼0.059 ± 0.003 M⊙. The nebular spectra of SN 2017ivv show a remarkable transformation that allows the evolution to be split into three phases: (1) Hα strong phase (<200 d); (2) Hα weak phase (between 200 and 350 d); and (3) Hα broad phase (>500 d). We find that the nebular analysis favours a binary progenitor and an asymmetric explosion. Finally, comparing the nebular spectra of SN 2017ivv to models suggests a progenitor with a zero-age main-sequence mass of 15–17 M⊙. 

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