Radio and X-ray observations of SN 2006jd: Another strongly interacting Type IIn supernova

TL;DR

This study presents four years of radio and X-ray observations of the Type IIn supernova SN 2006jd, revealing complex shock interactions with a dense, possibly asymmetric circumstellar medium, and unusual spectral features.

Contribution

It provides detailed multi-wavelength monitoring and analysis of SN 2006jd, highlighting the role of gas mixing and density profile deviations in supernova shock interactions.

Findings

Radio emission initially rises due to free-free absorption by cool gas.

X-ray luminosity indicates high circumstellar density, but line-of-sight absorption suggests lower density.

Fe line emission at 6.9 keV is stronger than expected, implying cool gas mixing.

Abstract

We report four years of radio and X-ray monitoring of the Type IIn supernova SN 2006jd at radio wavelengths with the Very Large Array, Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and Expanded Very Large Array; at X-ray wavelengths with {\em Chandra}, {\em XMM-Newton} and {\em Swift}-XRT. We assume that the radio and X-ray emitting particles are produced by shock interaction with a dense circumstellar medium. The radio emission shows an initial rise that can be attributed to free-free absorption by cool gas mixed into the nonthermal emitting region; external free-free absorption is disfavored because of the shape of the rising light curves and the low gas column density inferred along the line of sight to the emission region. The X-ray luminosity implies a preshock circumstellar density $\sim 10^6$ cm$^{-3}$ at a radius $r\sim 2\times 10^{16}$ cm, but the column density inferred from the photoabsorption of X-rays along the line of sight suggests a significantly lower density. The implication may be an asymmetry in the interaction. The X-ray spectrum shows Fe line emission at 6.9 keV that is stronger than is expected for the conditions in the X-ray emitting gas. We suggest that cool gas mixed into the hot gas plays a role in the line emission. Our radio and X-ray data both suggest the density profile is flatter than $r^{-2}$ because of the slow evolution of the unabsorbed emission.