Progenitors of Type Ia supernovae (SNe) have been predicted to modify their ambient circumstellar (CSM) and interstellar environments through the action of their powerful winds. While there is X-ray and optical evidence for circumstellar interaction in several remnants of Type Ia SNe, widespread evidence for such interaction in Type Ia SNe themselves has been lacking. We consider prospects for detection of CSM shells that have been predicted to be common around Type Ia SNe. Such shells are most easily detected in Na I absorption lines. Variable (declining) absorption is expected to occur soon after the explosion, primarily during the SN rise time, for shells located within 1 - 10 pc of a SN. The distance of the shell from the SN can be determined by measuring the time scale for line variability.
HD179821 is an enigmatic evolved star that possesses characteristics of both a post-asymptotic giant branch star and a yellow hyper-giant, and there has been no evidence that unambiguously defines its nature. These two hypotheses are products of an indeterminate distance, presumed to be 1 kpc or 6 kpc. We have obtained the two-epoch Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 data of its circumstellar shell, which shows multiple concentric arcs extending out to about 8 arcsec. We have performed differential proper-motion measurements on distinct structures within the circumstellar shell of this mysterious st…
We present HI line profiles for various models of circumstellar shells around red giants. In the calculations we take into account the effect of the background at 21 cm, and show that in some circumstances it may have an important effect on the shape and intensity of the observed line profiles. We show that self-absorption should also be considered depending on the mass loss rate and the temperature reached by circumstellar gas. HI emission from circumstellar shells has been mostly reported from stars with mass loss rates around 10$^{-7}$ solar masses per year. We discuss the possible reasons …
We observed two proto-planetary nebulae, HD 56126 representing a source with an elliptical circumstellar shell and IRAS 16594-4656 representing a source with a bipolar circumstellar shell, with ALMA in the 12CO and 13CO J=3-2 lines and neighboring continuum to see how the morpho-kinematics of CO gas and dust emission properties in their circumstellar environments differ.
Observations of Type II supernovae imply that a large fraction of its progenitors experience enhanced mass loss years to decades before core collapse, creating a dense circumstellar medium (CSM). Assuming that the CSM is produced by a single mass eruption event, we analytically model the density profile of the resulting CSM. We find that a double power-law profile, where the inner (outer) power-law index has a characteristic value of -1.5 (-10 to -12), gives a good fit to the CSM profile obtained using radiation hydrodynamical simulations. With our profile the CSM is well described by just two…
We present new Herschel/PACS images at 70, 100, and 160 micron of the well-known, nearby, carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch star IRC+10216 revealing multiple dust shells in its circumstellar envelope. For the first time, dust shells (or arcs) are detected until 320 arcsec. The almost spherical shells are non-concentric and have an angular extent between 40 deg and 200 deg. The shells have a typical width of 5 arcsec - 8 arcsec, and the shell separation varies in the range of 10 arcsec - 35 arcsec, corresponding to 500-1700 yr. Local density variations within one arc are visible. The shell/in…
We present models of spherically symmetric recurrent nova shells interacting with circumstellar material in a symbiotic system composed of a red giant expelling a wind, and a white dwarf accreting from this material. Recurrent nova eruptions periodically eject material at high velocities ($\gtrsim 10^3$ km/s) into the red giant wind profile, creating a decelerating shock wave as circumstellar material is swept up. High circumstellar material densities cause the shocked wind and ejecta to have very short cooling times of days to weeks. Thus, the late time evolution of the shell is determined by…
Massive stars shape their surrounding medium through the force of their stellar winds, which collide with the circumstellar medium. Because the characteristics of these stellar winds vary over the course of the evolution of the star, the circumstellar matter becomes a reflection of the stellar evolution and can be used to determine the characteristics of the progenitor star. In particular, whenever a fast wind phase follows a slow wind phase, the fast wind sweeps up its predecessor in a shell, which is observed as a circumstellar nebula. We make 2-D and 3-D numerical simulations of fast stella…
Recent observations of luminous Type IIn supernovae (SNe) provide compelling evidence that massive circumstellar shells surround their progenitors. In this paper we investigate how the properties of such shells influence the SN lightcurve by conducting numerical simulations of the interaction between an expanding SN and a circumstellar shell ejected a few years prior to core collapse. Our parameter study explores how the emergent luminosity depends on a range of circumstellar shell masses, velocities, geometries, and wind mass-loss rates, as well as variations in the SN mass and energy. We fin…
We present an analytic model for bolometric light curves which are powered by the interaction between supernova ejecta and a dense circumstellar medium. This model is aimed at modeling Type IIn supernovae to determine the properties of their supernova ejecta and circumstellar medium. Our model is not restricted to the case of steady mass loss and can be applied broadly. We only consider the case in which the optical depth of the unshocked circumstellar medium is not high enough to affect the light curves. We derive the luminosity evolution based on an analytic solution for the evolution of a d…
Here we explore the possible preexisting circumstellar debris of supernova type Ia systems. Classical, symbiotic and recurrent novae all accrete onto roughly solar mass white dwarfs from main sequence or Mira type companions and result in thermonuclear runaways and expulsion of the accreted material at high velocity. The expelled material forms a fast moving shell that eventually slows to planetary nebula expansion velocities within several hundred years. All such systems are recurrent and thousands of shells (each of about 0.001 Mo) snow plough into the environment. As these systems involve c…
Upon formation, degenerate He core white dwarfs are surrounded by a radiative H-rich layer primarily supported by ideal gas pressure. In this Letter, we examine the effect of this H-rich layer on mass transfer in He+C/O double white dwarf binaries that will eventually merge and possibly yield a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) in the double detonation scenario. Because its thermal profile and equation of state differ from the underlying He core, the H-rich layer is transferred stably onto the C/O white dwarf prior to the He core's tidal disruption. We find that this material is ejected from the binar…
Recent observations of Cepheids using infrared interferometry and Spitzer photometry have detected the presence of circumstellar envelopes (CSE) of dust and it has been hypothesized that the CSE's are due to dust forming in a Cepheid wind. Here we use a modified Castor, Abbott & Klein formalism to produce a Cepheid wind, and this is used to estimate the contribution of mass loss to the Cepheid mass discrepancy Furthermore, we test the OGLE-III Classical Cepheids using the IR fluxes from the SAGE survey to determine if Large Magellanic Cloud Cepheids have CSE's. It is found that IR excess is a …
The aim of this paper is to investigate how the new imaging Polarimeter and Coronograph (PolCor) at the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) can be used in the study of circumstellar structures around AGB stars, with the purpose of preparing for a study of a larger sample. We have observed two types of AGB stars using the PolCor instrument on the NOT: the binary S-type star W Aql and two carbon stars with detached shells, U Cam and DR Ser. The polarized light traces the dust distribution around the stars. From the polarimeter images the polarized intensity, the polarization degree, and the polarizat…
Supernovae (SNe) powered by interaction with circumstellar material provide evidence for intense stellar mass loss during the final years leading up to core collapse. We have argued that during and after core neon burning, internal gravity waves excited by core convection can tap into the core fusion power and transport a super-Eddington energy flux out to the stellar envelope, potentially unbinding up to ~ 1 solar mass of material. In this work, we explore the internal conditions of SN progenitors using the MESA 1-D stellar evolution code, in search of those most susceptible to wave-driven ma…
We report the results of optical spectroscopy of the blue supergiant Sk-69 279 and its circular shell in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) with the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). We classify Sk-69 279 as an O9.2 Iaf star and analyse its spectrum by using the stellar atmosphere code CMFGEN, obtaining a stellar temperature of \approx 30 kK, a luminosity of log(L_*/Lsun)=5.54, a mass-loss rate of log(\dot{M}/(Msun/yr))=-5.26, and a wind velocity of 800 km/s. We found also that Sk-69 279 possesses an extended atmosphere with an effective temperature of \approx 24 kK and that its surface h…
Supernovae interacting with Si and S-rich circumstellar matter from double white dwarf mergers
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Institutes of Natural Sciences（日本国立天文台，日本国立科学研究所）；Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI（综合研究大学院大学）；School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University（蒙纳士大学物理与天文学学院）；International Center of Supernovae (ICESUN), Yunnan Key Laboratory of Supernova Research, Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院云南天文台超新星国际研究中心（ICESUN），云南省超新星研究重点实验室）
We present numerical simulations of the hydrodynamical interactions that produce circumstellar shells. These simulations include several scenarios, such as wind-wind interaction and wind-ISM collisions. In our calculations we have taken into account the presence of dust in the stellar wind. Our results show that, while small dust grains tend to be strongly coupled to the gas, large dust grains are only weakly coupled. As a result, the distribution of the large dust grains is not representative of the gas distribution. Combining these results with observations may give us a new way of validatin…
We investigate circumstellar and explosion properties of Type Ibn supernovae (SNe) by analyzing their bolometric light curves. Bolometric light curves of Type Ibn SNe generally have a large contrast between peak luminosity and late-phase luminosity, which is much larger than those of 56Ni-powered SNe. Thus, most of them are likely powered by the interaction between SN ejecta and dense circumstellar media. In addition, Type Ibn SNe decline much faster than Type IIn SNe, and this indicates that the interaction in Type Ibn SNe ceases earlier than in Type IIn SNe. Thus, we argue that Type Ibn SN p…
The Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) is the terminal phase of red giant evolution with timescales of millions of years and a total mass lost from the star that is a significant fraction of the initial mass. Investigation of one of these stars, WISEA J173046.10-344455.5, a kpc in the direction of the center of the Galaxy, reveals a cool oxygen rich star with a dust shell of black-body temperature 1305 K.
Massive stars are characterized by a significant loss of mass either via spherically symmetric stellar winds or pre-explosion pulses, or by aspherical forms of circumstellar matter (CSM) such as bipolar lobes or outflowing circumstellar equatorial disks. A significant fraction of most massive stars end their lives by a core collapse; supernovae (SNe) are always located inside circumstellar envelopes created by their progenitors. We study the dynamics and thermal effects of collision between expanding ejecta of SNe and CSM that may be formed during, for example, a sgB[e] star phase, a luminous …
In certain mass ranges, massive stars can undergo a violent pulsation triggered by the electron/positron pair instability that ejects matter, but does not totally disrupt the star. After one or more of these pulsations, such stars are expected to undergo core-collapse to trigger a supernova explosion. The mass range susceptible to this pulsational phenomena may be as low as 50-70 Msun if the progenitor is of very low metallicity and rotating sufficiently rapidly to undergo nearly homogeneous evolution. The mass, dynamics, and composition of the matter ejected in the pulsation are important asp…
We conduct three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of two opposite jets that interact with a spherical slow wind that includes a denser shell embedded within it, and obtain a bipolar nebula where each of the two lobes is composed of two connected bubbles and Rayleigh-Taylor instability tongues that protrude from the outer bubble and form the `columns crown'. The jets are launched for a short time of 17 years and inflate a bipolar nebula inside a slow wind. When the bipolar structure encounters the dense shell, the interaction causes each of the two lobes to split to two connected bubbles.…
We present ultraviolet, optical and near-infrared data of the Type Ibn supernovae (SNe) 2010al and 2011hw. SN 2010al reaches an absolute magnitude at peak of M(R) = -18.86 +- 0.21. Its early light curve shows similarities with normal SNe Ib, with a rise to maximum slower than most SNe Ibn. The spectra are dominated by a blue continuum at early stages, with narrow P-Cygni He I lines indicating the presence of a slow-moving, He-rich circumstellar medium. At later epochs the spectra well match those of the prototypical SN Ibn 2006jc, although the broader lines suggest that a significant amount of…
Stellar light from an AGB star is scattered by the circumstellar dust and polarized in the direction perpendicular to the source. Therefore, images of circumstellar envelopes around AGB stars in polarized light traces the dust distribution and can be used to search for asymmetries, and to achieve a better understanding of the mechanisms at play when AGB stars are transformed into planetary nebulae. The PolCor instrument is a combined imager, polarimeter, and coronograph providing images with an angular resolution down to 0.2". We have used it to map the dust distribution around three AGB stars…
Variable red- and blue-shifted absorption features observed in the Ca ii K line towards the A-type shell star $ϕ$ Leo have been suggested by us in a previous work to be likely due to solid, comet-like bodies in the circumstellar (CS) environment. Our aim is to expand our observational study of this object to other characteristic spectral lines of A-type photospheres as well as to lines arising in their CS shells. We have obtained more than 500 high-resolution optical spectra collected at different telescopes from December 2015 to January 2019. We have analysed some photospheric lines, in parti…
Spectroscopic, polarimetric, and high spectral resolution interferometric data covering the period 1995-2011 are analyzed to document the transition into a new phase of circumstellar disk activity in the classical Be-shell star 48 Lib. The long-term disk evolution is described using the V/R ratio of the violet and red emission components of H alpha and Br gamma, radial velocities and profiles of He I and optical metal shell lines, multi-band BVRI polarimetry, broad-band and high-resolution interferometric visibilities and phases. Spectroscopic signatures of disk asymmetries in 48 Lib vanished …
We investigate predicted circumstellar properties of Type Ia supernova progenitor systems with non-degenerate helium star donors. It has been suggested that systems consisting of a carbon+oxygen white dwarf and a helium star can lead to Type Ia supernova explosions. Binary evolution calculations for the helium star donor channel predict that such a progenitor system is in either a stable helium-shell burning phase or a weak helium-shell flash phase at the time of the Type Ia supernova explosion. By taking the binary evolution models from our previous study, we show that a large fraction of the…
Recent interpretations of narrow, variable absorption lines detected in some Type Ia supernovae suggest that their progenitors are surrounded by dense, circumstellar material. Similar variations detected in the symbiotic recurrent nova system RS Oph, which undergoes thermonuclear outbursts every ~20 years, making it an ideal candidate to investigate the origin of these lines. To this end, we present simulations of multiple mass transfer-nova cycles in RS Oph. We find that the quiescent mass transfer produces a dense, equatorial outflow, i.e., concentrated towards the binary orbital plane, and …
Long-period variables (LPVs) and Miras are highly evolved stars at the upper region of the asymptotic giant branch. They exhibit a pronounced variability of their luminosity with a more or less well defined period and suffer large mass loss in the form of stellar winds. Due to this extensive mass loss, LPVs and Miras are surrounded by extended circumstellar dust shells (CDSs). The dynamics of these envelopes is the result of a complex interplay via an external excitation by the pulsating central star, dust formation and radiative transfer. Our study is aimed at an understanding of the dynamics…
Two optically obscured Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars have been recently discovered by means of their infrared (IR) circumstellar shells, which show signatures of interaction with each other. Following the systematics of the WR star catalogues, these stars obtain the names WR\,120bb and WR\,120bc. In this paper, we present and analyse new near-IR, $J$, $H$, and $K$-band, spectra using the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) model atmosphere code. For that purpose, the atomic data base of the code has been extended in order to include all significant lines in the near-IR bands. The spectra of both stars are class…
For decades, a wide variety of observations spanning the radio through optical and on to the x-ray have attempted to uncover signs of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) interacting with a circumstellar medium (CSM). The goal of these studies is to constrain the nature of the hypothesized SN Ia mass-donor companion. A continuous CSM is typically assumed when interpreting observations of interaction. However, while such models have been successfully applied to core-collapse SNe, the assumption of continuity may not be accurate for SNe Ia, as shells of CSM could be formed by pre-supernova eruptions (nov…
We summarize our studies on neutrino-driven nucleosynthesis in He shells of early core-collapse supernovae with metallicities of $Z\lesssim 10^{-3}\,Z_\odot$. We find that for progenitors of $\sim 11$--$15\,{\rm M}_\odot$, the neutrons released by $^4{\rm He}(\barν_e,e^+n)^3{\rm H}$ in He shells can be captured to produce nuclei with mass numbers up to $A \sim 200$. This mechanism is sensitive to neutrino emission spectra and flavor oscillations. In addition, we find two new primary mechanisms for neutrino-induced production of $^{9}$Be in He shells. The first mechanism produces $^9$Be via $^7…
Most of the observational studies of supernova (SN) explosions are limited to early phases (< a few yr after the explosion) of extragalactic SNe and observations of SN remnants (> 100 yr) in our Galaxy or very nearby galaxies. SNe at the epoch between these two, which we call "transitional" phase, have not been explored in detail except for several extragalactic SNe including SN 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We present theoretical predictions for the infrared (IR) dust emissions by several mechanisms; emission from dust formed in the SN ejecta, light echo by circumstellar and interstell…
In this review I summarize the observational attempts done so far to unveil the nature of the progenitor system/s of Type Ia Supernovae. In particular, I focus on the most recent developments that followed the alleged detection of circumstellar material around a few events, and on the link this possibly establishes with recurrent novae. In this framework, I then discuss the case of RS Oph, what we know of its circumstellar environment, and what this is telling us about its supposed connection to Type Ia supernova explosions.
Using ultraviolet (UV) light curves we constrain the circumstellar environments of 1080 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) within $z<0.5$ from archival Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) observations. All SNe Ia are required to have pre- and post-explosion GALEX observations to ensure adequate subtraction of the host-galaxy flux. Using the late-time GALEX observations we look for the UV excess expected from any interaction between the SN ejecta and circumstellar material (CSM). Four SNe Ia are detected near maximum light and we compare the GALEX photometry to archival data, but we find none of our tar…
Type IIP supernovae (SNe IIP) often show relatively high continuum polarization ($\sim 1$\%) in the late phase. This polarization feature is generally believed to be due to an inner aspherical core revealed in the late phase, while this polarization feature can also be contributed by the effect of polarized-scattered echoes by circumstellar (CS) dust around the SN. In this paper, we propose a unique method to distinguish polarization from the SN ejecta and from the light echo. We quantitatively examine wavelength dependence of the polarization created by the scattered echoes for various geomet…
Type II supernovae (SNe) interacting with disklike circumstellar matter (CSM) have been suggested as an explanation of some unusual Type II SNe, e.g., the so-called "impossible" SN, iPTF14hls. There are some radiation hydrodynamics simulations for such SNe interacting with a CSM disk. However, such disk interaction models so far have not included the effect of the ionization and recombination processes in the SN ejecta, i.e., the fact that the photosphere of Type IIP SNe between $\sim 10$-$\sim 100$ days is regulated by the hydrogen recombination front. We calculate light curves for Type IIP S…
High-velocity features (HVF), especially of Ca II, are frequently seen in Type Ia supernova observed prior to B-band maximum (Bmax). These HVF evolve in velocity from more than 25,000 km/s, in the days after first light, to about 18,000 km/s near Bmax. To recreate the evolution of the Ca II near-infrared triplet (CaNIR) HVF in SN 2011fe, we consider the interaction between a model Type Ia supernova and compact circumstellar shells with masses between 0.003 solar masses and 0.012 solar masses. We fit the observed CaNIR feature using synthetic spectra generated from the models using syn++. The C…
Hydrogen-rich, core-collapse supernovae are typically divided into four classes: IIP, IIL, IIn, and IIb. In general, interaction with circumstellar material is only considered for Type IIn supernovae. However, recent hydrodynamic modeling of IIP and IIL supernovae requires circumstellar material to reproduce their early light curves. In this scenario, IIL supernovae experience large amounts of mass loss before exploding. We test this hypothesis on ASASSN-15oz, a Type IIL supernova. With extensive follow-up in the X- ray, UV, optical, IR, and radio we present our search for signs of interaction…
Type IIP supernovae (SNe IIP) are the most common class of core-collapse SNe. They often show rapid increase of polarization degree in the late phase. This time evolution is generally believed to originate from the emergence of an inner aspherical core, while an effect of polarized-scattered echoes by circumstellar (CS) dust around the SN may also substantially contribute to this polarization feature. In this study, we examine the effects of the scatted echoes on the SN polarization through radiative transfer simulations for various geometry and amount of CS dust. It has been found that asymme…
Double peaked light curves are observed for some Type Ic supernovae (SNe Ic) including LSQ14efd, iPTF15dtg and SN 2020bvc. One possible explanation of the first peak would be shock-cooling emission from massive extended material around the progenitor, which is produced by mass eruption or rapid expansion of the outermost layers of the progenitor shortly before the supernova explosion. We investigate the effects of such circumstellar matter (CSM) on the multi-band optical light curves of SNe Ic using the radiation hydrodynamics code STELLA. Two different SNe Ic progenitor masses at the pre-SN s…
The origin of super-luminous supernovae (SLSNe), especially the source of their huge luminosities, has not been clarified yet. While a strong interaction between SN ejecta and dense circumstellar media (CSM) is a leading scenario, alternative models have been proposed. In this Letter, we suggest new diagnostics to discriminate the strong SN-CSM interaction scenario from the others: a decline in the luminosity ('dip') before the main peak of the light curve. This dip is an unavoidable consequence of having a dense CSM within which the shock breakout occurs. If a dense CSM shell is located far a…
We study the properties of low-velocity material in the line of sight towards nearby Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) that have measured late phase nebular velocity shifts (v_neb), thought to be an environment-independent observable. We have found that the distribution of equivalent widths of narrow blended Na I D1 & D2 and Ca II H & K absorption lines differs significantly between those SNe Ia with negative and positive v_neb, with generally stronger absorption for SNe Ia with v_neb > 0. A similar result had been found previously for the distribution of colors of SNe Ia, which was interpreted as a…
The circumstellar (CS) environment is key to understanding progenitors of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), as well as the origin of a peculiar extinction property toward SNe Ia for cosmological application. It has been suggested that multiple scatterings of SN photons by CS dust may explain the non-standard reddening law. In this paper, we examine the effect of re-emission of SN photons by CS dust in the infrared (IR) wavelength regime. This effect allows the observed IR light curves to be used as a constraint on the position/size and the amount of CS dust. The method was applied to observed near-…
We introduce the first synthetic light-curve model set of Type IIP supernovae exploded within circumstellar media in which the acceleration of the red supergiant winds is taken into account. Because wind acceleration makes the wind velocities near the progenitors low, the density of the immediate vicinity of the red supergiant supernova progenitors can be higher than that extrapolated by using a constant terminal wind velocity. Therefore, even if the mass-loss rate of the progenitor is relatively low, it can have a dense circumstellar medium at the immediate stellar vicinity and the early ligh…
Supernovae (SNe) with strong interactions with circumstellar material (CSM) are promising candidate sources of high-energy neutrinos and gamma rays, and have been suggested as an important contributor to Galactic cosmic rays beyond 1 PeV. Taking into account the shock dissipation by a fast velocity component of SN ejecta, we present comprehensive calculations of the non-thermal emission from SNe powered by shock interactions with a dense wind or CSM. Remarkably, we consider electromagnetic cascades in the radiation zone and subsequent attenuation in the pre-shock CSM. A new time-dependent phen…
Type Ibn supernovae (SNe) are a mysterious class of transients whose spectra exhibit persistently narrow HeI lines, and whose bolometric light curves are typically fast evolving and overluminous at peak relative to standard Type Ibc SNe. We explore the interaction scenario of such Type Ibn SNe by performing radiation-hydrodynamics and radiative-transfer calculations. We find that standard-energy helium-star explosions within dense wind-like circumstellar material (CSM) can reach on day timescales a peak luminosity of a few 10^44 erg/s, reminiscent of exceptional events like AT2018cow. Similar …
