A Comprehensive Analysis of Spitzer Supernovae

TL;DR

This paper analyzes over 1100 supernova positions using Spitzer mid-infrared data, revealing dust formation and circumstellar interactions in various supernovae, with new photometric data for 45 previously unpublished cases.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive archival study of supernovae in the mid-infrared, including new photometry and insights into dust origin and heating mechanisms.

Findings

Detection of 119 supernovae in mid-IR, including 45 new cases.

Identification of significant warm dust in some supernovae.

Insights into dust formation and circumstellar interaction mechanisms.

Abstract

The mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelength regime offers several advantages for following the late-time evolution of supernovae (SNe). First, the peaks of the SN spectral energy distributions shift toward longer wavelengths following the photospheric phase. Second, mid-IR observations suffer less from effects of interstellar extinction. Third, and perhaps most important, the mid-IR traces dust formation and circumstellar interaction at late-times (>100 days) after the radioactive ejecta component fades. The Spitzer Space Telescope has provided substantial mid-IR observations of SNe since its launch in 2003. More than 200 SNe have been targeted, but there are even more SNe that have been observed serendipitously. Here we present the results of a comprehensive study based on archival Spitzer/IRAC images of more than 1100 SN positions; from this sample, 119 SNe of various subclasses have been detected, including 45 SNe with previously unpublished mid-IR photometry. The photometry reveal significant amounts of warm dust in some cases. We perform an in-depth analysis to constrain the origin and heating mechanism of the dust, and present the resulting statistics.