Workshop 8: Supernovae

TL;DR

This workshop summarized recent advances in supernova research, including interactions and classifications, and discussed future strategies for transient science and criteria for supernova designation.

Contribution

The paper reports on workshop discussions highlighting new findings on interacting supernovae and proposes updates to supernova classification criteria.

Findings

First observation of hydrogen-rich interaction in Type Ic supernova SN 2017dio

Discussion on the future of transient science in the era of Big Data

Call for revising supernova confirmation criteria by IAU

Abstract

This contribution presents the results of workshop 8 (supernovae) held during the IAU Symposium 339 "Southern Horizons in Time-Domain Astronomy" at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Workshop 8 covered a cornucopia of topics with each one having a short presentation by a pre-determined participant followed by a round table discussion. During the first of two sessions, G. Hosseinzadeh and H. Kuncarayakti presented results of their recent works on interacting supernovae. This includes both the intriguing Type Ibn supernova subclass, as well as SN 2017dio, which appears to be the first Type Ic supernova to exhibit signatures of hydrogen-rich circumstellar interaction at all phases. During the second session, M. Sullivan provided an excellent summary related to the future of transient science in the era of Big Data, and the participants discussed strategies to determine which targets and fields should be selected for spectroscopic followup. Workshop 8 concluded with a rather heated discussion regarding the need for the IAU supernova working group to consider to modify the current criteria for a confirmed supernova to receive an official IAU designation.