A possible relation between flare activity in superluminous supernovae and gamma-ray bursts

TL;DR

This paper suggests that the undulating light curves of superluminous supernovae may be caused by intermittent energy releases from a central engine, similar to flares observed in gamma-ray bursts, indicating a possible connection between the two phenomena.

Contribution

It proposes that SLSN light curve undulations are due to episodic energy injections from a central engine, linking SLSNe and GRB flares through empirical luminosity-time correlations.

Findings

SLSN light curve undulations may result from intermittent central engine activity.

SLSN flare properties follow the empirical GRB flare luminosity-time scale relation.

Supports a potential common physical mechanism between SLSNe and GRB flares.

Abstract

Significant undulations appear in the light curve of a recently discovered super-luminous supernova (SLSN) SN 2015bn after the first peak, while the underlying profile of the light curve can be well explained by a continuous energy supply from a central engine, possibly the spin-down of a millisecond magnetar. We propose that these undulations are caused by an intermittent pulsed energy supply, indicating an energetic flare activity of the central engine of the SLSN. Many post-burst flares were discovered during X-ray afterglow observations of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). We find that the SLSN flares described here approximately obey the empirical correlation between the luminosity and time scale of GRB flares, extrapolated to the relevant longer time scales of SLSN flares. This confirms the possible connection between these two different phenomena as previously suggested.