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Abstract We present optical photometry and spectroscopy of SN 2019hnl. Discovered within ∼26 hr of explosion by the ATLAS survey, SN 2019hnl is a typical Type IIP supernova (SN) with a peak absoluteV-band magnitude of −16.7 ± 0.1 mag, a plateau length of ∼107 days, and an early decline rate of 0.0086 ± 0.0006 mag (50 days)⁻¹. We use nebular spectroscopy and hydrodynamic modeling with thesnec,mesa, andstellacodes to infer that the progenitor of SN 2019hnl was anM_ZAMS ∼ 11M_⊙red supergiant, which produced 0.047 ± 0.007M_⊙of⁵⁶Ni in the explosion. As a part of our hydrodynamic modeling, we reduced hydrogen envelope mass by scaling the mass loss within the “Dutch” wind scheme to fit our light curve, showing that the progenitor of a relatively typical Type IIP SN may experience partial stripping during their evolution and establish massive (∼0.2M_⊙) circumstellar material environments prior to core collapse. 

Context. This is the second paper of a series aiming to determine the birth rates of supernovae (SNe) in the local Universe. Aims. We aimed to estimate the SN rates in the local Universe and fit the delay-time distribution of type Ia SNe (SNe Ia) to put constraints on their progenitor scenarios. Methods. We performed a Monte Carlo simulation to estimate volumetric rates using the nearby SN sample introduced in Paper I. The rate evolution of core-collapse (CC) SNe closely follows the evolution of the cosmic star formation history, while the rate evolution of SNe Ia involves the convolution of the cosmic star formation history and a two-component delay-time distribution including a power law and a Gaussian component. Results. The volumetric rates of type Ia, Ibc, and II SNe are derived as 0.325 ± 0.040_−0.010^+0.016, 0.160 ± 0.028_−0.014^+0.044, and 0.528 ± 0.051_−0.013^+0.162(in units of 10⁻⁴yr⁻¹Mpc⁻³h₇₀³), respectively. The rate of CCSNe (0.688 ± 0.078_−0.027^+0.0206) is consistent with previous estimates, which trace the star formation history. Conversely, the newly derived local SN Ia rate is larger than existing results given at redshifts 0.01 < z < 0.1, favoring an increased rate from the Universe at z ∼ 0.1 to the local Universe at z < 0.01. A two-component model effectively reproduces the rate variation, with the power law component accounting for the rate evolution at larger redshifts and the Gaussian component with a delay time of 12.63 ± 0.38 Gyr accounting for the local rate evolution. This delayed component, with its exceptionally long delay time, suggests that the progenitors of these SNe Ia were formed around 1 Gyr after the birth of the Universe, which could only be explained by a double-degenerate progenitor scenario. Comparison with the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) sample of SNe Ia at z = 0.073 and the morphology of their host galaxies, reveals that the increased SN Ia rate at z < 0.01 is primarily due to the SNe Ia of massive E and S0 galaxies with old stellar populations. Based on the above results, we estimate the Galactic SN rate as 3.08 ± 1.29 per century. 

Context. This is the first paper in a series aiming to determine the fractions and birth rates of various types of supernovae (SNe) in the local Universe. Aims. In this paper, we aim to construct a complete sample of SNe in the nearby Universe and provide more precise measurements of subtype fractions. Methods. We carefully selected our SN sample at a distance of less than 40 Mpc mainly from wide-field surveys conducted over the years from 2016 to 2023. Results. The sample contains a total of 211 SNe, including 109 SNe II, 69 SNe Ia, and 33 SNe Ibc. With the aid of sufficient spectra, we obtained relatively accurate subtype classifications for all SNe in this sample. After corrections for the Malmquist bias, this volumelimited sample yielded fractions of SNe Ia, SNe Ibc, and SNe II of 30.4_−11.5^+3.7%, 16.3_−7.4^+3.7%, and 53.3_−18.7^+9.5%, respectively. In the SN Ia sample, the fraction of the 91T-like subtype becomes relatively low (~5.4%), while that of the 02cx-like subtype shows a moderate increase (~6.8%). In the SN Ibc sample, we find significant fractions of broadlined SNe Ic (~18.0%) and SNe Ibn (~8.8%). The fraction of the 87A-like subtype was determined to be ~2.3%, indicating rare explosions from blue supergiant stars. We find that SNe Ia show a double peak number distribution in S0- and Sc-type host galaxies, which may serve as straightforward evidence for the presence of “prompt” and “delayed” progenitor components that give rise to SN Ia explosions. Several subtypes of SNe such as 02cx-like SNe Ia, broadlined SNe Ic, and SNe IIn (and perhaps SNe Ibn) are found to occur preferentially in less massive spiral galaxies (i.e., with stellar mass <0.5×10¹⁰M_ʘ), thus favoring their associations with young stellar progenitors. Moreover, the 02cx-like subtype shows a trend of exploding in the outer skirt of their hosts, which is suggestive of metal-poor progenitors. 

Abstract We report the results of a rapid follow-up campaign on the Type IIb supernova (SN) 2022hnt. We present a daily, multiband, photometric follow-up using the Las Cumbres Observatory, the Zwicky Transient Facility, the orbiting Swift observatory, and the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System. A distinctive feature in the light curve of SN 2022hnt and other IIb SNe is an early narrow peak prior to the⁵⁶Ni peak caused by rapid shock cooling of the hydrogen envelope, which can serve as an important probe of the properties of the massive progenitor star in the moments before explosion. Using SN 2022hnt as a case study, we demonstrate a framework of considerations for the application of shock cooling models to type IIb SNe, outlining a consistent procedure for future surveys of Type IIb SNe progenitor and explosion properties. We fit several recent models of shock-cooling emission and obtain progenitor radii between ∼50 and ∼100R_⊙, as well as hydrogen-enriched envelope masses between ∼0.01 and ∼0.1M_⊙, both consistent with values for other IIb SNe. One of these models is the model of J. Morag et al., marking the first time this model has been applied to a Type IIb SN. Finally, we evaluate contrasting predictions between shock-cooling models to construct a fiducial parameter set that can be used for comparison to other SNe. 

Abstract Extreme coronal-line emitters (ECLEs) are objects showing transient high-ionization lines in the centers of galaxies. They have been attributed to echoes of high-energy flares of ionizing radiation, such as those produced by tidal disruption events (TDEs), but have only recently been observed within hundreds of days after an optical transient was detected. AT 2022upj is a nuclear UV–optical flare atz= 0.054, with spectra showing [Fe x]λ6375 and [Fexiv]​​​​​λ5303 during the optical peak, the earliest presence of extreme coronal lines during an ongoing transient. AT 2022upj is also the second ever ECLE (and the first with a concurrent flare) to show broad Heiiλ4686 emission, a key signature of optical/UV TDEs. We also detect X-ray emission during the optical transient phase, which may be related to the source of ionizing photons for the extreme coronal lines. Finally, we analyze the spectroscopic evolution of each emission line and find that [Fe x] and [Fexiv] weaken within 400 days of the optical peak, while [Fevii]λ5720, [Fevii]λ6087, and [Oiii]λλ4959,5007 emerge over the same period. The velocities of the iron lines indicate circumnuclear gas within 0.1 pc of the central supermassive black hole (SMBH), while a dust echo inferred from NEOWISE data indicates that circumnuclear dust lies a minimum of 0.4 pc away, providing evidence of stratified material around an SMBH. AT 2022upj is thus the first confirmed ECLE–TDE with clear signatures of both classes and with spectroscopic evolution on a ∼year-long timescale. This event helps unveil the impacts of highly energetic flares such as TDEs on the complex environments around SMBHs. 

Abstract While the subclass of interacting supernovae (SNe) with narrow hydrogen emission lines (Type IIn supernovae (SNe IIn)) consists of some of the longest-lasting and brightest supernovae (SNe) ever discovered, their progenitors are still not well understood. Investigating SNe IIn as they emit across the electromagnetic spectrum is the most robust way to understand the progenitor evolution before the explosion. This work presents X-ray, optical, infrared, and radio observations of the strongly interacting Type IIn supernova, SN 2020ywx, covering a period >1200 days after discovery. Through multiwavelength modeling, we find that the progenitor of 2020ywx was losing mass at ∼10⁻²–10⁻³M_⊙yr⁻¹for at least 100 yr pre-explosion using the circumstellar medium (CSM) speed of 120 km s⁻¹measured from optical and near-infrared (NIR) spectra. Despite the similar magnitude of mass loss measured in different wavelength ranges, we find discrepancies between the X-ray and optical/radio-derived mass-loss evolution, which suggest asymmetries in the CSM. Furthermore, we find evidence for dust formation due to the combination of a growing blueshift in optical emission lines and NIR continuum emission which we fit with blackbodies at ∼1000 K. Based on the observed elevated mass loss over more than 100 yr and the configuration of the CSM inferred from the multiwavelength observations, we invoke binary interaction as the most plausible mechanism to explain the overall mass-loss evolution. SN 2020ywx is thus a case that may support the growing observational consensus that SNe IIn mass loss is explained by binary interaction. 

Abstract We present a comprehensive multi-epoch photometric and spectroscopic study of SN 2024bch, a nearby (19.9 Mpc) Type II supernova (SN) with prominent early high-ionization emission lines. Optical spectra from 2.8 days after the estimated explosion reveal narrow lines of H i, He ii, C iv, and N ivthat disappear by day 6. High-cadence photometry from the ground and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite show that the SN brightened quickly and reached a peakM_V ~ −17.8 mag within a week of explosion, and late-time photometry suggests a⁵⁶Ni mass of 0.050M_⊙. High-resolution spectra from days 7.9 and 43 trace the unshocked circumstellar medium (CSM) and indicate a wind velocity of 30–40 km s⁻¹, a value consistent with a red supergiant (RSG) progenitor. Comparisons between models and the early spectra suggest a pre-SN mass-loss rate of $\dot{M}~10^{-3}–10^{-2}{M}_{\odot }{\mathrm{yr}}^{-1}$, which is too high to be explained by quiescent mass loss from RSGs, but is consistent with some recent measurements of similar SNe. Persistent blueshifted H iand [O i] emission lines seen in the optical and near-IR spectra could be produced by asymmetries in the SN ejecta, while the multicomponent Hαmay indicate continued interaction with an asymmetric CSM well into the nebular phase. SN 2024bch provides another clue to the complex environments and mass-loss histories around massive stars. 

Abstract We present multi-epoch optical spectropolarimetric and imaging polarimetric observations of the nearby Type II supernova (SN) 2023ixf discovered in M101 at a distance of 6.85 Mpc. The first imaging polarimetric observations were taken +2.33 days (60085.08 MJD) after the explosion, while the last imaging polarimetric data points (+73.19 and +76.19 days) were acquired after the fall from the light-curve plateau. At +2.33 days there is strong evidence of circumstellar material (CSM) interaction in the spectra and the light curve. A significant level of intrinsic polarizationp_r = 1.02% ± 0.07% is seen during this phase, which indicates that this CSM is aspherical. We find that the polarization evolves with time toward the interstellar polarization level during the photospheric phase, which suggests that the recombination photosphere is spherically symmetric. There is a jump in polarization (p_r = 0.45% ± 0.08% andp_r = 0.62% ± 0.08%) at +73.19 and +76.19 days when the light curve falls from the plateau. This is a phase where polarimetric data are sensitive to nonspherical inner ejecta or a decrease in optical depth into the single-scattering regime. We also present spectropolarimetric data that reveal line (de)polarization during most of the observed epochs. In addition, at +14.50 days we see an “inverse P Cygni” profile in the H and He line polarization, which clearly indicates the presence of asymmetrically distributed material overlying the photosphere. The overall temporal evolution of the polarization is typical for Type II SNe, but the high level of polarization during the rising phase has only been observed in SN 2023ixf. 

Abstract Transient accretion events onto supermassive black holes (SMBHs), such as tidal disruption events (TDEs), Bowen Fluorescence Flares (BFFs), and active galactic nuclei (AGNs), which are accompanied by sudden increases of activity, offer a new window onto the SMBH population, accretion physics, and stellar dynamics in galaxy centers. However, such transients are rare and finding them in wide-field transient surveys is challenging. Here we present the results of a systematic real-time search for SMBH-related transients in Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) public alerts, using various search queries. We examined 345 rising events coincident with a galaxy nucleus, with no history of previous activity, of which 223 were spectroscopically classified. Of those, five (2.2%) were TDEs, one (0.5%) was a BFF, and two (0.9%) were AGN flares. Limiting the search to blue events, the fraction of TDEs nearly doubles to 4.1%, and no TDEs are missed. Limiting the search further to candidate post-starburst galaxies increases the relative number of TDEs to 16.7%, but the absolute numbers in such a search are small. The main contamination source is supernovae (95.1% of classified events), of which the majority (82.2% of supernovae) are of Type Ia. In a comparison set of 39 events with limited photometric history, the AGN contamination increases to ∼30%. Host galaxy offset is not a significant discriminant of TDEs in current ZTF data, but might be useful in higher-resolution data. Our results can be used to quantify the efficiency of various SMBH-related transient search strategies in optical surveys such as ZTF and the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. 

ABSTRACT We present the long-term photometric and spectroscopic analysis of a transitioning SN IIn/Ibn from –10.8 d to 150.7 d post V-band maximum. SN 2021foa shows prominent He i lines comparable in strength to the H $$\alpha$$ line around peak, placing SN 2021foa between the SN IIn and SN Ibn populations. The spectral comparison shows that it resembles the SN IIn population at pre-maximum, becomes intermediate between SNe IIn/Ibn, and at post-maximum matches with SN IIn 1996al. The photometric evolution shows a precursor at –50 d and a light curve shoulder around 17 d. The peak luminosity and colour evolution of SN 2021foa are consistent with most SNe IIn and Ibn in our comparison sample. SN 2021foa shows the unique case of an SN IIn where the narrow P-Cygni in H $$\alpha$$ becomes prominent at 7.2 d. The H $$\alpha$$ profile consists of a narrow (500–1200 km s$$^{-1}$$) component, intermediate width (3000–8000 km s$$^{-1}$$) and broad component in absorption. Temporal evolution of the H $$\alpha$$ profile favours a disc-like CSM geometry. Hydrodynamical modelling of the light curve well reproduces a two-component CSM structure with different densities ($$\rho \propto$$ r$$^{-2}$$–$$\rho \propto$$ r$$^{-5}$$), mass-loss rates (10$$^{-3}$$–10$$^{-1}$$ M$$_{\odot }$$ yr$$^{-1}$$) assuming a wind velocity of 1000 km s$$^{-1}$$ and having a CSM mass of 0.18 M$$_{\odot }$$. The overall evolution indicates that SN 2021foa most likely originated from an LBV star transitioning to a WR star with the mass-loss rate increasing in the period from 5 to 0.5 yr before the explosion or it could be due to a binary interaction.