A numerical light curve model for interaction-powered supernovae

TL;DR

This paper presents a numerical model for supernova light curves powered by ejecta-CSM interaction, incorporating fluid dynamics and radiative transfer to interpret observational data.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed numerical approach that resolves the shocked regions and accounts for radiation absorption, improving supernova light curve modeling.

Findings

Model can predict supernova parameters from light curves

Absorption in CSM significantly affects luminosity calculations

Model successfully applied to observed supernovae data

Abstract

We construct a numerical light curve model for interaction-powered supernovae that arise from an interaction between the ejecta and the circumstellar matter (CSM). In order to resolve the shocked region of an interaction-powered supernova, we solve the fluid equations and radiative transfer equation assuming the steady states in the rest frames of the reverse and forward shocks at each time step. Then we numerically solve the radiative transfer equation and the energy equation in the CSM with the thus obtained radiative flux from the forward shock as a radiation source. We also compare results of our models with observational data of two supernovae 2005kj and 2005ip classified as type IIn and discuss the validity of our assumptions. We conclude that our model can predict physical parameters associated with supernova ejecta and the CSM from the observed features of the light curve as long as the CSM is sufficiently dense. Furthermore, we found that the absorption of radiation in the CSM is an important factor to calculate the luminosity.