Mazzali, PA, Moriya, TJ, Tanaka, M and Woosley, SE (2019) The nature of PISN candidates: Clues from nebular spectra. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 484 (3). pp. 3451-3462. ISSN 0035-8711

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Abstract

A group of superluminous supernovae characterized by broad light curves have been suggested to be pair instability SNe (PISNe). Nebular spectra computed using PISN models have failed to reproduce the broad emission lines observed in these SNe, casting doubts on their true nature. Here, models of both PISNe and the explosion following the collapse of the core of a very massive star (100MΘ) are used to compute nebular spectra, which are compared to the spectrum of the prototypical PISN candidate, SN 2007bi. PISN models are confirmed to produce synthetic spectra showing narrow emission lines, resulting from the confinement of 56Ni to the lowest velocities (≤ 2000 km s-1) and in clear disagreement with the spectrum of SN 2007bi. Spectra more closely resembling SN2007bi are obtained if the PISN models are fully mixed in abundance. Massive core-collapse models produce enough 56Ni to power the light curve of PISN candidates, but their spectra are also not adequate. The nebular spectrum of SN 2007bi can be successfully reproduced if the inner region is artificially filled with oxygenrich, low-velocity ejecta. This most likely requires a grossly aspherical explosion. A major difference between PISN and massive collapse models is that the former emit much more strongly in the NIR. It is concluded that: (a) current PISN candidates, in particular SN 2007bi, are more likely the result of the collapse and explosion of massive stars below the PI limit; (b) significant asymmetry is required to reproduce the late-time spectrum of SN2007bi. © 2019 The Author(s).

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ©: 2019 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy Q Science > QC Physics
Divisions:	Astrophysics Research Institute
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Date Deposited:	16 Jul 2019 10:18
Last Modified:	04 Sep 2021 09:09
DOI or ID number:	10.1093/mnras/stz177
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/11043

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