A Core-Collapse Supernova Model for the Extremely Luminous Type Ic Supernova 2007bi: An Alternative to the Pair-Instability Supernova Model

TL;DR

This paper proposes a core-collapse supernova model for the luminous Type Ic supernova 2007bi, challenging the pair-instability supernova explanation by matching observed data with a high-energy explosion of a massive star core.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed core-collapse supernova model for SN 2007bi, providing an alternative to the pair-instability supernova model with specific progenitor and explosion parameters.

Findings

The model reproduces the observed luminosity and spectra of SN 2007bi.

The ejecta mass is approximately 40 solar masses with an explosion energy of 3.6×10^{52} erg.

The ejected nickel-56 mass is about 6.1 solar masses.

Abstract

We present a core-collapse supernova model for the extremely luminous Type Ic supernova 2007bi. By performing numerical calculations of hydrodynamics, nucleosynthesis, and radiation transport, we find that SN 2007bi is consistent with the core-collapse supernova explosion of a 43 Msun carbon and oxygen core obtained from the evolution of a progenitor star with a main sequence mass of 100 Msun and metallicity of Z = Zsun/200, from which its hydrogen and helium envelopes are artificially stripped. The ejecta mass and the ejecta kinetic energy of the models are 40 Msun and 3.6*10^{52} erg. The ejected 56Ni mass is as large as 6.1 Msun, which results from the explosive nucleosynthesis with large explosion energy. We also confirm that SN 2007bi is consistent with a pair-instability supernova model as has recently been claimed. We show that the earlier light curve data can discriminate between the models for such luminous supernovae.