In this contributed talk I presented the observational evidence for supernova (SN) explosions of stars in the luminous blue variable (LBV) and the immediate post-LBV evolutionary phases. We now have compelling indications that two recent SNe of Type II-“narrow” (IIn) were the explosions

of LBVs, including the direct identification of the progenitor LBV for one of these

examples. A recent SN of Type Ic exploded as a helium star, two years after

the powerful LBV outburst of its progenitor. These cases were also discussed

by other presenters at this Workshop in some detail. I instead focus more on

another example, SN2001em, which was first identified as a Type Ib/c, but later

evolved to Type IIn. I argue that the progenitor of this SN exploded as a Wolf-

Rayet (WR) star, following an eruptive LBV phase. Furthermore, I suggest that

two “SN impostors,” i.e., extragalactic massive stars observed to undergo pre-SN

LBV eruptions (similar to η Carinae), may well have evolved to the WR phase

in real time

Van Dyk, Schuyler D.

English

Caltech Authors - Main

HOT AND COOL: BRIDGING GAPS IN MASSIVE-STAR EVOLUTION
ASP Conference Series, Vol. 425, c© 2010
C. Leitherer, P. D. Bennett, P. W. Morris, and J. Th. van Loon, eds.
Explosions of LBV and Post-LBV Stars
Schuyler D. Van Dyk
Spitzer Science Center/Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Abstract. In this contributed talk I presented the observational evidence
for supernova (SN) explosions of stars in the luminous blue variable (LBV)
and the immediate post-LBV evolutionary phases. We now have compelling
indications that two recent SNe of Type II-“narrow” (IIn) were the explosions
of LBVs, including the direct identification of the progenitor LBV for one of these
examples. A recent SN of Type Ic exploded as a helium star, two years after
the powerful LBV outburst of its progenitor. These cases were also discussed
by other presenters at this Workshop in some detail. I instead focus more on
another example, SN 2001em, which was first identified as a Type Ib/c, but later
evolved to Type IIn. I argue that the progenitor of this SN exploded as a Wolf-
Rayet (WR) star, following an eruptive LBV phase. Furthermore, I suggest that
two “SN impostors,” i.e., extragalactic massive stars observed to undergo pre-SN
LBV eruptions (similar to η Carinae), may well have evolved to the WR phase
in real time.
1. The LBV-SN Connection
The core-collapse supernovae (SNe) that arise from massive stars come in various
types: The Type II, particularly the Type IIn, and the Type Ib/c. Smith,
Leonard, and Elias-Rosa discuss SN types elsewhere in this volume. Questions
that are still to be resolved: What are the progenitors of SNe IIn, what are
the progenitors of SNe Ib/c, and are the evolutionary paths of these massive
progenitors somehow related or connected? How do stars in the LBV and WR
evolutionary phases come into these progenitor scenarios?
Evidence is emerging of a connection between some core-collapse SNe and
LBVs.
1.1. Indirect Evidence
The extraordinary luminosities of the SNe IIn 2006gy in NGC1260 (Smith et al.
2007; Ofek et al. 2007, however, see Agnoletto et al. 2009) and 2006tf in an
anonymous galaxy (Smith et al. 2008) appear to arise with the interaction of
the SN shock with preexisting dense circumstellar matter (CSM) lost by the pro-
genitor prior to explosion. (Another recent example may be SN2008fz, Benetti
et al. 2008, the peculiar SN II 2005ap was also highly overluminous, Quimby
et al. 2007.) The amount of mass lost would need to be ∼1–2M, requiring
extremely high mass-loss rates, ∼0.1M yr
−1. Such parameters are suggestive
of giant eruptions of very massive stars in the LBV phase, such as η Car.
73
74 Van Dyk
1.2. Direct Evidence
In the case of SN 2005gl in NGC266, a very luminous point source, with M0
V
=
−10.3 mag, has, at least preliminarily, been identified in pre-explosion HST
image data (Gal Yam et al. 2007). With such a high luminosity, it is not clear
whether or not this is a single star; it could well be a compact star cluster. If
it were a single star, the high luminosity would be consistent with a LBV near
maximum brightness. This would be the first instance definitively linking LBVs
to SNe. See the contribution by Leonard in this Volume for further discussion
of this object.
2. Post-LBV Supernovae
Recent examples also exist of SNe that have occurred immediately following the
LBV phase.
2.1. SN 2006jc in UGC 4904
The most spectacular case so far is of the Type “Ibn” SN2006jc (Foley et al.
2007; Pastorello et al. 2007). The SN was a peculiar Ib stripped of both H and
He, with spectroscopic signatures (e.g., the “narrow” emission line profiles) of
SN shock interaction with a slower-moving He-rich CSM. The progenitor star
was therefore likely in the carbon-rich WR, or WC, phase. The most amazing
aspect was that it was preceded almost exactly two years prior to explosion by
an η Car-like eruption! The progenitor must have evolved rapidly from the LBV
phase, through the WN phase, to become a WC star at explosion. This implies
that the star must have been very massive.
2.2. SN 2001em in UGC 11794
SN 2001em was discovered on September 20 UT (Papenkova & Li 2001), but
was likely already detectable by then. It was spectroscopically classified as a
SN Ic on October 20 (Filippenko & Chornock 2001). See Fig. 1. As part of
a survey to observe SNe Ib/c at late times in the radio, to test the hypothesis
that some of these SNe could be off-axis gamma-ray bursts (GRBs; see, e.g.,
Granot & Ramirez-Ruiz 2004), SN 2001em was detected as a highly luminous
radio source with the VLA in 2003 October (Stockdale et al. 2004). The SN was
subsequently detected by Chandra as a highly luminous X-ray source (Pooley
& Lewin 2004). This is very unusual behavior for SNe Ib/c at later times. The
unusual early-time optical light curve, which showed a much broader maximum
than normal SNe Ib/c (e.g., SN 1994I), provided some indication that SN2001em
was peculiar; see Fig. 5.. Comparison with the photometric evolution of the un-
usual SN Ic SN2005bf (Folatelli et al. 2006, see below) indicates that SN2001em
may have exploded a month prior to discovery.
What is most remarkable is that, from a spectrum obtained by Soderberg
et al. (2004) on 2004 May 7, SN 2001em had transformed to a SN IIn! Broad
Hα emission, with FWHM ∼1800 km s−1, which would be highly unusual for
a SN Ic at late times, dominated the spectrum. We confirmed this spectral
appearance from our own observation on 2004 December 12 with LRIS on the
Keck telescope. See Fig. 5..
LBV and Post-LBV Explosions 75
Figure 1. Spectra of SN2001em, obtained with the Lick 3 m on 2001 Oc-
tober 20 UT (Filippenko & Chornock 2001) and with the Keck 10 m on 2004
December 24 UT.
In addition to the unusual observed spectral transformation, a number of
authors have cast significant doubt on the off-axis GRB scenario via other ar-
guments (e.g., Bietenholz & Bartel 2007; Schinzel et al. 2009). The strong
H emission, as well as the luminous radio and X-ray fluxes, can more easily be
explained as the SN shock interacting with and overtaking a dense circumstellar
H envelope of comparable mass to the SN ejecta mass. The envelope is swept
up and accelerated by a fast WR wind, which through Rayleigh-Taylor insta-
bilities leads to clumpiness in the envelope. Chugai & Chevalier (2006), e.g.,
provided a model for a very dense, H-rich shell with mass M ∼ 3M with ra-
dius ≤ 7× 1016 cm from the star. The shell was lost in a mass-loss episode at a
rate of M˙ ∼ 2–10× 10−3 M yr
−1 at ∼1000–2000 yr prior to explosion. Such a
high-rate mass-loss event could be explained by binary interaction, but is more
reminiscent of a superwind, or powerful eruption, from a LBV (η Car-like) star
(Chevalier 2007).
2.3. SN 2005bf in MCG +00–27–005
Another event quite similar to SN2001em is the unusual Type Ib/Ic SN2005bf
(e.g., Folatelli et al. 2006). Its optical properties, in particular, make it a ‘cousin’
76 Van Dyk
Figure 2. The R-band light curve for SN2001em (open squares). The pro-
totypical SN Ic 1994I is shown for comparison (open triangles; Richmond et al.
1996).
to SN2001em. In fact, a Keck spectrum taken ∼233 days after explosion showed
strong, broad Hα, very similar to what was observed for SN2001em (Soderberg
et al. 2005). Again, SN 2005bf may be an example of a very massive star which
experienced a powerful LBV eruption before evolving to the WR phase prior to
explosion.
3. Evidence of LBV to Post-LBV (WR) Evolution?
The behavior of the progenitors of SNe 2001em, SN2005bf, and particularly,
SN 2006jc is quite extraordinary. However, is it unique? Such η Car-like powerful
eruptions, or outbursts, have been observed for a number of extragalactic events,
which can be called η Car analogs. The energetics in these eruptions can rival
that of true SNe; hence, they have been referred to as “SN impostors” (Van Dyk
et al. 2000). Examples include SNe 1954J, 1961V, 1997bs, 1999bw, and 2000ch.
See Van Dyk & Matheson (2009) for a review of the SN impostors. At least in
the cases of SNe 1961V (e.g., Van Dyk 2005) and 1954J (Van Dyk et al. 2005)
LBV and Post-LBV Explosions 77
the star survives the eruption as a highly luminous (M0
V
∼ −7 to −8 mag) star.
For the two examples below this appears not to be true.
3.1. SN 1997bs in NGC 3627
The spectrum of SN1997bs resembled a SN IIn, however, both the luminosity
(MV ' −13.8 mag) at maximum and the light curves, although smooth in
nature, were unusual. Its color became progressively redder as well, from V−I '
0.62 mag at V maximum, to V−I ≈ 3.4 mag in late 1997. In HST imaging from
2001, SN 1997bs became much bluer, at V−I < 0.8 mag (V [F555W] ∼ 25.8 mag
and undetected at I; Li et al. 2002). Most notably, the precursor of what was
likely a powerful outburst was identified in a HST image from late 1994, with
MV ' −8.1 mag. From this brightness and considering the range of supergiant
spectral types, the star must have been hotter than F6; the SN1997bs spectrum
at maximum was also consistent with a hot precursor.
The flattening out of the late-time light curves implies that the star survived
the eruption. By 2001 it had faded to 2.9 mag below its pre-eruption state, while
returning to a bluer color. SN 1997bs could have been an actual SN and faded,
as Li et al. (2002) suggested. However, with M0
V
∼ −5.2 mag in 2001, it is also
possible that we had witnessed the precursor evolving from LBV outburst to
the WR phase. The star’s absolute magnitude and limit on the color from 2001
are both within the range of those of some WRs in the Galaxy (cf. Vacca &
Torres-Dodgen 1990).
3.2. SN 1999bw in NGC 3198
SN1999bw had spectral and luminosity characteristics similar to SN1997bs (Fil-
ippenko, Li, & Modjaz 1999). Li et al. (2002) identified a V ' 24.1 mag source
in an HST image from 2001. A remeasurement of the position of SN 1999bw
shows that this position differs by 1.′′0 with that of the identified source—i.e.,
SN 1999bw has not been recovered since outburst to V ∼>27.9 mag, orM
0
V ∼>−2.9
mag, from HST images in 2006. Dust obscuration could well be responsible;
however, although emission from dust was detected using Spitzer at the site
of SN 1999bw (e.g., Sugerman et al. 2004), the infrared emission was no longer
detectable in 2006. My speculation, although not nearly as evocative as in the
case of SN1997bs, is that, since the absolute magnitude limit on SN1999bw is
within the range for some WRs in the Galaxy and, particularly, in the LMC
(cf. Vacca & Torres-Dodgen 1990), the precursor of SN 1999bw also may have
evolved since outburst from the LBV phase to the WR phase.
4. Conclusions
My conclusions are:
• Evidence exists that at least one SN IIn arose from the explosion of a LBV
star (presumably after a powerful eruptive episode).
• Indications are that some (two?) SNe Ib/c arise from the explosions of
WR stars, which have evolved rapidly after a LBV eruption.
78 Van Dyk
• At least three SN impostors, including η Car itself (!), have survived pow-
erful η Car-like outbursts, or eruptions.
• Two SN impostors may have evolved rapidly after outburst to the WR
phase—we may have witnessed this evolution in real time.
• All SN impostors should be continuously monitored—one day, soon, they
too could explode.
• SNe Ib/c and IIn should be observationally revisited at late times.
Acknowledgments. Thanks to Tom Matheson, Weidong Li, Chris Stock-
dale, Alex Filippenko, Ryan Chornock, Ryan Foley, and Dave Pooley.
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Explosions of LBV and Post-LBV Stars

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