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SN2008am: A Super-Luminous Type IIn Supernova by Chatzopoulos, E.; Wheeler, J. Craig; Vinko, J.; Quimby, R.; Robinson, E. L.; Miller, A. A.; Foley, R. J.; Perley, D. A.; Yuan, F.; Akerlof, C.; Bloom, J. S. is a scholarly article available to read on EtoBox.

What is SN2008am: A Super-Luminous Type IIn Supernova about?

We present observations and interpretation of the Type IIn supernova SN 2008am discovered by the ROTSE Supernova Verification Project (RSVP). SN 2008am peaked at approximately -22.3 mag at a redshift of z=0.2338, giving it a peak luminosity of 3 x 10^{44}erg/s and making it one of the most luminous supernovae ever observed. The total radiated energy is ~ 2 x 10^{51} erg. Photometric observations in the ultraviolet, optical and infrared bands (J,H,Ks) constrain the SED evolution. We obtained six optical spectra of the supernova, five on the early decline from maximum light and a sixth nearly a year later plus a very late-time spectrum (~2 yr) of the host galaxy. The spectra of SN 2008am show strong Balmer-line and He I lambda 5876A emission with intermediate widths (~25A) in the first ~40 days after optical maximum. We examine a variety of models for the line wings and conclude that multiple scattering is most likely, implying that our spectra contain no specific information on the bulk flow velocity. We examine a variety of models for the ROTSE light curve subject to the rise time and the nature of the spectra, including radioactive decay, shocks in optically-thick and optically-th

Author

Chatzopoulos, E.; Wheeler, J. Craig; Vinko, J.; Quimby, R.; Robinson, E. L.; Miller, A. A.; Foley, R. J.; Perley, D. A.; Yuan, F.; Akerlof, C.; Bloom, J. S.

Published

2011

Language

EN