SN 2012au: A Golden Link Between Superluminous Supernovae and Their Lower-Luminosity Counterparts

TL;DR

SN 2012au exhibits properties linking energetic, hydrogen-poor supernovae and superluminous supernovae, suggesting a unified explosion mechanism involving aspherical, possibly jetted core-collapse of a massive star.

Contribution

This study provides detailed observations of SN 2012au, revealing similarities with both hypernovae and superluminous supernovae, proposing a common explosion mechanism across these classes.

Findings

SN 2012au shows high kinetic energy (~10^{52} erg) and significant nickel ejection (~0.3 M_solar).

Spectral features indicate an aspherical, possibly jetted explosion.

Late-time spectra reveal persistent and nebular emission lines at multiple velocities.

Abstract

We present optical and near-infrared observations of SN 2012au, a slow-evolving supernova (SN) with properties that suggest a link between subsets of energetic and H-poor SNe and superluminous SNe. SN 2012au exhibited conspicuous SN Ib-like He I lines and other absorption features at velocities reaching 2 x 10^4 km/s in its early spectra, and a broad light curve that peaked at M_B = -18.1 mag. Models of these data indicate a large explosion kinetic energy of 10^{52} erg and 56Ni mass ejection of 0.3 Msolar on par with SN 1998bw. SN 2012au's spectra almost one year after explosion show a blend of persistent Fe II P-Cyg absorptions and nebular emissions originating from two distinct velocity regions. These late-time emissions include strong [Fe II], [Ca II], [O I], Mg I], and Na I lines at velocities > 4500 km/s, as well as O I and Mg I lines at noticeably smaller velocities of 2000 km/s. Many of the late-time properties of SN 2012au are similar to the slow-evolving hypernovae SN 1997dq and SN 1997ef, and the superluminous SN 2007bi. Our observations suggest that a single explosion mechanism may unify all of these events that span -21 < M_B < -17 mag. The aspherical and possibly jetted explosion was most likely initiated by the core collapse of a massive progenitor star and created substantial high-density, low-velocity Ni-rich material.