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Abstract We present a detailed study of SN 2024ahr, a hydrogen-poor superluminous supernova (SLSN-I), for which we determine a redshift ofz= 0.0861. SN 2024ahr has a peak absolute magnitude ofMg≈Mr≈ −21 mag, rest-frame rise and decline times (50% of peak) of about 40 and 80 days, respectively, and typical spectroscopic evolution in the optical band. Similarly, modeling of the UV/optical light curves with a magnetar spin-down engine leads to typical parameters: an initial spin period of ≈3.3 ms, a magnetic field strength of ≈6 × 1013G, and an ejecta mass of ≈9.5M⊙. Due to its relatively low redshift, we obtained a high signal-to-noise ratio near-IR (NIR) spectrum about 43 rest-frame days postpeak to search for the presence of helium. We do not detect any significant feature at the location of the Heiλ2.058μm feature and place a conservative upper limit of ∼0.05M⊙on the mass of helium in the outer ejecta. We detect broad features of Mgiλ1.575μm and Mgiiλ2.136μm, which are typical of Type Ic SNe, but with higher velocities. Examining the sample of SLSNe-I with NIR spectroscopy, we find that, unlike SN 2024ahr, these events are generally peculiar. This highlights the need for a large sample of prototypical SLSNe-I with NIR spectroscopy to constrain the fraction of progenitors with helium (Ib-like) and without helium (Ic-like) at the time of explosion, and hence the evolutionary path(s) leading to the rare outcome of SLSNe-I.more » « lessFree, publicly-accessible full text available July 3, 2026
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Abstract SN 2023ehl, a normal Type Ia supernova with a typical decline rate, was discovered in the galaxy UGC 11555 and offers valuable insights into the explosion mechanisms of white dwarfs. We present a detailed analysis of SN 2023ehl, including spectroscopic and photometric observations. The supernova exhibits high-velocity features in its ejecta, which are crucial for understanding the physical processes during the explosion. We compared the light curves of SN 2023ehl with other well-observed Type Ia supernovae, finding similarities in their evolution. The line strength ratioR(Siii) was calculated to be 0.17 ± 0.04, indicating a higher photospheric temperature compared to other supernovae. The maximum quasi-bolometric luminosity was determined to be 1.52 × 1043erg s−1, and the synthesized56Ni mass was estimated at 0.77 ± 0.05M⊙. The photospheric velocity atB-band maximum light was measured as 10,150 ± 240 km s−1, classifying SN 2023ehl as a normal velocity Type Ia supernova. Our analysis suggests that SN 2023ehl aligns more with both the gravitationally confined detonation, providing a comprehensive view of the diversity and complexity of Type Ia supernovae.more » « lessFree, publicly-accessible full text available June 6, 2026
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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 polarizationpr = 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 (pr = 0.45% ± 0.08% andpr = 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.more » « lessFree, publicly-accessible full text available March 20, 2026
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Abstract We present supernova (SN) 2023ufx, a unique Type IIP SN with the shortest known plateau duration (tPT∼ 47 days), a luminousV-band peak (MV= −18.42 ± 0.08 mag), and a rapid early decline rate (s1 = 3.47 ± 0.09 mag (50 days)−1). By comparing observed photometry to a hydrodynamic MESA+STELLA model grid, we constrain the progenitor to be a massive red supergiant withMZAMS∼ 19–25M⊙. Independent comparisons with nebular spectral models also suggest an initial He-core mass of ∼6M⊙, and thus a massive progenitor. For a Type IIP, SN 2023ufx produced an unusually high amount of nickel (56Ni) ∼0.14 ± 0.02M⊙, during the explosion. We find that the short plateau duration in SN 2023ufx can be explained with the presence of a small hydrogen envelope ( ∼ 1.2M⊙), suggesting partial stripping of the progenitor. About ∼0.09M⊙of circumstellar material through mass loss from late-time stellar evolution of the progenitor is needed to fit the early time (≲10 days) pseudo-bolometric light curve. Nebular line diagnostics of broad and multipeak components of [Oi]λλ6300, 6364, Hα, and [Caii]λλ7291, 7323 suggest that the explosion of SN 2023ufx could be inherently asymmetric, preferentially ejecting material along our line of sight.more » « lessFree, publicly-accessible full text available March 11, 2026
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Abstract We present panchromatic optical + near-infrared (NIR) + mid-infrared (MIR) observations of the intermediate-luminosity Type Iax supernova (SN Iax) 2024pxl and the extremely low-luminosity SN Iax 2024vjm. JWST observations provide unprecedented MIR spectroscopy of SN Iax, spanning from +11 to +42 day past maximum light. We detect forbidden emission lines in the MIR at these early times while the optical and NIR are dominated by permitted lines with an absorption component. Panchromatic spectra at early times can thus simultaneously show nebular and photospheric lines, probing both inner and outer layers of the ejecta. We identify spectral lines not seen before in SN Iax, including [Mgii] 4.76μm, [Mgii] 9.71μm, [Neii] 12.81μm, and isolated Oi2.76μm that traces unburned material. Forbidden emission lines of all species are centrally peaked with similar kinematic distributions, indicating that the ejecta are well mixed in both SN 2024pxl and SN 2024vjm, a hallmark of pure deflagration explosion models. Radiative transfer modeling of SN 2024pxl shows good agreement with a weak deflagration of a near-Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf, but additional IR flux is needed to match the observations, potentially attributable to a surviving remnant. Similarly, we find SN 2024vjm is also best explained by a weak deflagration model, despite the large difference in luminosity between the two supernovae. Future modeling should push to even weaker explosions and include the contribution of a bound remnant. Our observations demonstrate the diagnostic power of panchromatic spectroscopy for unveiling explosion physics in thermonuclear supernovae.more » « lessFree, publicly-accessible full text available August 13, 2026
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Abstract SN 2023ixf was discovered in M101 within a day of the explosion and rapidly classified as a Type II supernova with flash features. Here we present ultraviolet (UV) spectra obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope 14, 19, 24, and 66 days after the explosion. Interaction between the supernova ejecta and circumstellar material (CSM) is seen in the UV throughout our observations in the flux of the first three epochs and asymmetric Mgiiemission on day 66. We compare our observations to CMFGEN supernova models that include CSM interaction ( M⊙yr−1) and find that the power from CSM interaction is decreasing with time, fromLsh≈ 5 × 1042erg s−1toLsh≈ 1 × 1040erg s−1between days 14 and 66. We examine the contribution of individual atomic species to the spectra on days 14 and 19, showing that the majority of the features are dominated by iron, nickel, magnesium, and chromium absorption in the ejecta. The UV spectral energy distribution of SN 2023ixf sits between that of supernovae, which show no definitive signs of CSM interaction, and those with persistent signatures assuming the same progenitor radius and metallicity. Finally, we show that the evolution and asymmetric shape of the Mgiiλλ2796, 2802 emission are not unique to SN 2023ixf. These observations add to the early measurements of dense, confined CSM interaction, tracing the mass-loss history of SN 2023ixf to ∼33 yr prior to the explosion and the density profile to a radius of ∼5.7 × 1015cm. They show the relatively short evolution from a quiescent red supergiant wind to high mass loss.more » « less
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Abstract We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2023fyq, a Type Ibn supernova (SN) in the nearby galaxy NGC 4388 (D≃ 18 Mpc). In addition, we trace the 3 yr long precursor emission at the position of SN 2023fyq using data from DLT40, ATLAS, Zwicky Transient Facility, ASAS-SN, Swift, and amateur astronomer Koichi Itagaki. The double-peaked postexplosion light curve reaches a luminosity of ∼1043erg s−1. The strong intermediate-width He lines observed in the nebular spectrum imply the interaction is still active at late phases. We found that the precursor activity in SN 2023fyq is best explained by the mass transfer in a binary system involving a low-mass He star and a compact companion. An equatorial disk is likely formed in this process (∼0.6M⊙), and the interaction of SN ejecta with this disk powers the second peak of the SN. The early SN light curve reveals the presence of dense extended material (∼0.3M⊙) at ∼3000R⊙ejected weeks before the SN explosion, likely due to final-stage core silicon burning or runaway mass transfer resulting from binary orbital shrinking, leading to rapid-rising precursor emission within ∼30 days prior to explosion. The final explosion could be triggered either by the core collapse of the He star or by the merger of the He star with a compact object. SN 2023fyq, along with SN 2018gjx and SN 2015G, forms a unique class of Type Ibn SNe, which originate in binary systems and are likely to exhibit detectable long-lasting pre-explosion outbursts with magnitudes ranging from −10 to −13.more » « less
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Abstract We present high-cadence photometric and spectroscopic observations of supernova (SN) 2024ggi, a Type II SN with flash spectroscopy features, which exploded in the nearby galaxy NGC 3621 at ∼7 Mpc. The light-curve evolution over the first 30 hr can be fit by two power-law indices with a break after 22 hr, rising fromMV≈ −12.95 mag at +0.66 day toMV≈ −17.91 mag after 7 days. In addition, the densely sampled color curve shows a strong blueward evolution over the first few days and then behaves as a normal SN II with a redward evolution as the ejecta cool. Such deviations could be due to interaction with circumstellar material (CSM). Early high- and low-resolution spectra clearly show high-ionization flash features from the first spectrum to +3.42 days after the explosion. From the high-resolution spectra, we calculate the CSM velocity to be 37 ± 4 km s−1. We also see the line strength evolve rapidly from 1.22 to 1.49 days in the earliest high-resolution spectra. Comparison of the low-resolution spectra with CMFGEN models suggests that the pre-explosion mass-loss rate of SN 2024ggi falls in the range of 10−3–10−2M☉yr−1, which is similar to that derived for SN 2023ixf. However, the rapid temporal evolution of the narrow lines in the spectra of SN 2024ggi (RCSM∼ 2.7 × 1014cm) could indicate a smaller spatial extent of the CSM than in SN 2023ixf (RCSM∼ 5.4 × 1014cm), which in turn implies a lower total CSM mass for SN 2024ggi.more » « less
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Abstract We present optical and near-infrared (NIR) observations of SN 2022crv, a stripped-envelope supernova in NGC 3054, discovered within 12 hr of explosion by the Distance Less Than 40 Mpc Survey. We suggest that SN 2022crv is a transitional object on the continuum between Type Ib supernovae (SNe Ib) and Type IIb supernovae (SNe IIb). A high-velocity hydrogen feature (∼ −20,000 to −16,000 km s−1) was conspicuous in SN 2022crv at early phases, and then quickly disappeared. We find that a hydrogen envelope of ∼10−3M⊙can reproduce the observed behavior of the hydrogen feature. The lack of early envelope cooling emission implies that SN 2022crv had a compact progenitor with an extremely low amount of hydrogen. A nebular spectral analysis shows that SN 2022crv is consistent with the explosion of a He star with a final mass of ∼4.5–5.6M⊙that evolved from a ∼16 to 22M⊙zero-age main-sequence star in a binary system with ∼1.0–1.7M⊙of oxygen finally synthesized in the core. In order to retain such a small amount of hydrogen, the initial orbital separation of the binary system is likely larger than ∼1000R⊙. The NIR spectra of SN 2022crv show a unique absorption feature on the blue side of the Heiline at ∼1.005μm. This is the first time such a feature has been observed in SNe Ib/IIb, and it could be due to Sr II. Further detailed modeling of SN 2022crv can shed light on the progenitor and the origin of the mysterious absorption feature in the NIR.more » « less
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Abstract We present high-cadence photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2023axu, a classical Type II supernova with an absoluteV-band peak magnitude of –17.2 ± 0.1 mag. SN 2023axu was discovered by the Distance Less Than 40 Mpc (DLT40) survey within 1 day of the last nondetection in the nearby galaxy NGC 2283 at 13.7 Mpc. We modeled the early light curve using a recently updated shock cooling model that includes the effects of line blanketing and found the explosion epoch to be MJD 59971.48 ± 0.03 and the probable progenitor to be a red supergiant. The shock cooling model underpredicts the overall UV data, which point to a possible interaction with circumstellar material. This interpretation is further supported by spectral behavior. We see a ledge feature around 4600 Å in the very early spectra (+1.1 and +1.5 days after the explosion), which can be a sign of circumstellar interaction. The signs of circumstellar material are further bolstered by the presence of absorption features blueward of Hαand Hβat day >40, which is also generally attributed to circumstellar interaction. Our analysis shows the need for high-cadence early photometric and spectroscopic data to decipher the mass-loss history of the progenitor.more » « less
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