Light Curve Modeling of Superluminous Supernova 2006gy: Collision between Supernova Ejecta and Dense Circumstellar Medium

TL;DR

This paper models the light curve of superluminous supernova 2006gy as resulting from the collision between supernova ejecta and a dense circumstellar medium, providing insights into the progenitor star and explosion parameters.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed radiation hydrodynamics model that reproduces the observed light curve without requiring radioactive nickel, and discusses the importance of multidimensional effects.

Findings

Progenitor likely a very massive star with ~15 solar masses ejecta.

Circumstellar medium mass estimated at about 15 solar masses.

Explosion energy exceeds 4 x 10^51 erg, no nickel needed.

Abstract

We show model light curves of superluminous supernova 2006gy on the assumption that the supernova is powered by the collision of supernova ejecta and its dense circumstellar medium. The initial conditions are constructed based on the shock breakout condition, assuming that the circumstellar medium is dense enough to cause the shock breakout within it. We perform a set of numerical light curve calculations by using a one-dimensional multigroup radiation hydrodynamics code STELLA. We succeeded in reproducing the overall features of the early light curve of SN 2006gy with the circumstellar medium whose mass is about 15 Msun (the average mass-loss rate ~ 0.1 Msun/yr). Thus, the progenitor of SN 2006gy is likely a very massive star. The density profile of the circumstellar medium is not well constrained by the light curve modeling only, but our modeling disfavors the circumstellar medium formed by steady mass loss. The ejecta mass is estimated to be comparable to or less than 15 Msun and the explosion energy is expected to be more than 4e51 erg. No 56Ni is required to explain the early light curve. We find that the multidimensional effect, e.g., the Rayleigh-Taylor instability, which is expected to take place in the cool dense shell between the supernova ejecta and the dense circumstellar medium, is important in understanding supernovae powered by the shock interaction. We also show the evolution of the optical and near-infrared model light curves of high-redshift superluminous supernovae. They can be potentially used to identify SN 2006gy-like superluminous supernovae in the future optical and near-infrared transient surveys.