Multicolor light curves simulations of Population III core-collapse supernovae: from shock breakout to $^{56}$Co decay

TL;DR

This study models multicolor light curves of Population III core-collapse supernovae to aid their detection and identification in current and future astronomical surveys, focusing on shock breakout and decay phases.

Contribution

It provides detailed simulations of Pop III supernova light curves using mixing-fallback models, highlighting features useful for identifying first-generation SNe.

Findings

Shock breakout characteristics help estimate progenitor parameters.

Light curve features distinguish metal-free SNe from others.

Models suggest potential for detecting first-generation SNe in surveys.

Abstract

The properties of the first generation of stars and their supernova (SN) explosions remains unknown due to the lack of their actual observations. Recently many transient surveys are conducted and the feasibility of the detection of supernovae (SNe) of Pop III stars is growing. In this paper we study the multicolor light curves for a number of metal-free core-collapse SN models (25-100 M$_{\odot}$) to provide the indicators for finding and identification of first generation SNe. We use mixing-fallback supernova explosion models which explain the observed abundance patterns of metal poor stars. Numerical calculations of the multicolor light curves are performed using multigroup radiation hydrodynamic code STELLA. The calculated light curves of metal-free SNe are compared with non-zero metallicity models and several observed SNe. We have found that the shock breakout characteristics, the evolution of the photosphere's velocity, the luminosity, the duration and color evolution of the plateau - all the SN phases are helpful to estimate the parameters of SN progenitor: the mass, the radius, the explosion energy and the metallicity. We conclude that the multicolor light curves can be potentially used to identify first generation SNe in the current (Subaru/HSC) and future transient surveys (LSST, JWST). They are also suitable for identification of the low-metallicity SNe in the nearby Universe (PTF, Pan-STARRS, Gaia).