Blue supergiant progenitor models of Type II supernovae

TL;DR

This paper explores how mergers in massive binary systems can produce blue supergiant stars that may serve as progenitors for Type II supernovae, suggesting a link to some super luminous supernovae.

Contribution

It demonstrates that binary mergers can lead to blue supergiant progenitors of supernovae, a scenario not fully considered in previous models.

Findings

Binary mergers can produce hydrogen-rich blue supergiants.

Some blue supergiants may explode as luminous supernovae.

Mergers contribute to the population of massive blue stars.

Abstract

In the present paper we show that within all the uncertainties that govern the process of Roche lobe overflow in Case Br type massive binaries, it can not be excluded that a significant fraction of them merge and become single stars. We demonstrate that at least some of them will spend most of their core helium burning phase as hydrogen rich blue stars, populating the massive blue supergiant region and/or the massive Be type star population. The evolutionary simulations let us suspect that these mergers will explode as luminous hydrogen rich stars and it is tempting to link them to at least some super luminous supernovae.