Constraints on the Progenitor of SN 2010jl and Pre-Existing Hot Dust in its Surrounding Medium

TL;DR

This study constrains the properties of the progenitor and surrounding dust of SN 2010jl using pre-explosion Hubble and Spitzer data, providing limits on dust mass, temperature, and progenitor luminosity to understand its pre-supernova environment.

Contribution

It introduces a method to constrain progenitor star properties and circumstellar dust characteristics using combined extinction and IR emission limits from pre-explosion observations.

Findings

Progenitor's luminosity and temperature are constrained by non-detections.

Pre-existing dust mass must be at least 10^{-3} solar masses to obscure a luminous progenitor.

Dust must be located at least 10^{16} cm away from the star to avoid detection.

Abstract

A search for the progenitor of SN~2010jl, an unusually luminous core-collapse supernova of Type~IIn, using pre-explosion {\it Hubble}/WFPC2 and {\it Spitzer}/IRAC images of the region, yielded upper limits on the UV and near-infrared (IR) fluxes from any candidate star. These upper limits constrain the luminosity and effective temperature of the progenitor, the mass of any preexisting dust in its surrounding circumstellar medium (CSM), and dust proximity to the star. A {\it lower} limit on the CSM dust mass is required to hide a luminous progenitor from detection by {\it Hubble}. {\it Upper} limits on the CSM dust mass and constraints on its proximity to the star are set by requiring that the absorbed and reradiated IR emission not exceed the IRAC upper limits. Using the combined extinction-IR emission constraints we present viable $M_d-R_1$ combinations, where $M_d$ and $R_1$ are the CSM dust mass and its inner radius. These depend on the CSM outer radius, dust composition and grain size, and the properties of the progenitor. The results constrain the pre-supernova evolution of the progenitor, and the nature and origin of the observed post-explosion IR emission from SN~2010jl. In particular, an $\eta$~Car-type progenitor will require at least 4~mag of visual extinction to avoid detection by the {\it Hubble}. This can be achieved with dust masses $\gtrsim 10^{-3}$~\msun\ (less than the estimated 0.2-0.5~\msun\ around $\eta$~Car) which must be located at distances of $\gtrsim 10^{16}$~cm from the star to avoid detection by {\it Spitzer}.