Radio Supernovae: Circum-Stellar Investigation (C.S.I.) of Supernova Progenitor Stars

TL;DR

This paper discusses how radio observations of supernovae can reveal details about the progenitor stars' evolution and mass loss, with upcoming radio telescopes like EVLA and SKA enhancing this exploration.

Contribution

It highlights the potential of advanced radio telescopes to improve understanding of supernova progenitors beyond optical classifications.

Findings

Radio observations probe progenitor evolution over a thousand years.

Next-generation telescopes will significantly enhance pre-explosion star studies.

Deeper physical insights into massive star life cycles will be possible.

Abstract

Prior to explosion, a supernova progenitor slowly loses significant amounts of its hydrogen envelope in a stellar wind. After the explosion, the blastwave interacts with this wind producing synchrotron emission. A year of radio observations allows us to probe the progenitor evolution for a thousand years. The EVLA and SKA would represent more than an order of magnitude improvement in our ability to explore the pre-explosion lives of a significantly large population of supernova progenitor stars. It will allow us to move beyond the crude optical classifications and develop a deeper physical understanding of how massive stars live and die.