Late-Time Dust Emission from the Type IIn Supernova 1995N

TL;DR

This study analyzes late-time infrared observations of supernova 1995N, revealing significant pre-existing dust around the progenitor, which supports the idea that massive stars contribute to cosmic dust production.

Contribution

It provides detailed measurements of pre-existing dust in SN 1995N using Spitzer and WISE data, highlighting the role of massive stars in dust enrichment.

Findings

Detected ~0.05--0.12 solar masses of cool dust around SN 1995N.

Observed dust temperature of approximately 240 K.

Dust mass is lower than high-redshift supernova dust production requirements.

Abstract

The Type IIn supernovae (SNe IIn) have been found to be associated with significant amounts of dust. These core-collapse events are generally expected to be the final stage in the evolution of highly-massive stars, either while in an extreme red supergiant phase or during a luminous blue variable phase. Both evolutionary scenarios involve substantial pre-supernova mass loss. I have analyzed the SN IIn 1995N in MCG -02-38-017 (Arp 261), for which mid-infrared archival data obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope in 2009 (~14.7 yr after explosion) and with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) in 2010 (~15.6--16.0 yr after explosion) reveal a luminous (~2e7 L_sun) source detected from 3.4 to 24 micron. These observations probe the circumstellar material, set up by pre-SN mass loss, around the progenitor star and indicate the presence of ~0.05--0.12 M_sun of pre-existing, cool dust at ~240 K. This is at least a factor ~10 lower than the dust mass required to be produced from SNe at high redshift, but the case of SN 1995N lends further evidence that highly massive stars could themselves be important sources of dust.