Hydrogen-rich supernovae beyond the neutrino-driven core-collapse paradigm

TL;DR

This study analyzes the extraordinary supernova OGLE-2014-SN-073, revealing it has an unusually high ejecta mass and energy, challenging standard core-collapse models and suggesting alternative explosion mechanisms like pair-instability or magnetar energy injection.

Contribution

It provides detailed hydrodynamical modeling of an exceptionally bright Type II supernova, proposing that such events may involve non-standard explosion mechanisms beyond neutrino-driven core-collapse.

Findings

Ejecta mass of approximately 60 solar masses

Explosion energy around 12.4 x 10^{51} erg

Indications of alternative explosion scenarios like pair-instability or magnetar injection

Abstract

We present our study of OGLE-2014-SN-073, one of the brightest Type II SN ever discovered, with an unusually broad lightcurve combined with high ejecta velocities. From our hydrodynamical modelling we infer a remarkable ejecta mass of $60^{+42}_{-16}$~M$_\odot$, and a relatively high explosion energy of $12.4^{+13.0}_{-5.9} \times10^{51}$~erg. We show that this object belongs, with a very small number of other hydrogen-rich SNe, to an energy regime that is not explained by standard core-collapse (CC) neutrino-driven explosions. We compare the quantities inferred by the hydrodynamical modelling with the expectations of various exploding scenarios, trying to explain the high energy and luminosity released. We find some qualitative similarities with pair-instabilities SNe, although a prompt injection of energy by a magnetar seems also a viable alternative to explain such extreme event.