ASASSN-14lp: two possible solutions for the observed UV suppression

TL;DR

This study investigates the UV suppression in the Type Ia supernova ASASSN-14lp by modeling its ejecta's chemical composition, especially the distribution of radioactive nickel, and explores how this affects observed spectra and light curves.

Contribution

It introduces detailed chemical abundance profiles, including high-velocity $^{56}$Ni, to explain UV suppression, and assesses their impact on supernova spectra and light curves.

Findings

A high-velocity $^{56}$Ni distribution reproduces UV flux well.

Radioactive material in outer ejecta constrains explosion models.

UV suppression can also be explained by lower UV radiation at the photosphere.

Abstract

We test the adequacy of ultraviolet (UV) spectra for characterizing the outer structure of Type Ia supernova (SN) ejecta. For this purpose, we perform spectroscopic analysis for ASASSN-14lp, a normal SN Ia showing low continuum in the mid-UV regime. To explain the strong UV suppression, two possible origins have been investigated by mapping the chemical profiles over a significant part of their ejecta. We fit the spectral time series with mid-UV coverage obtained before and around maximum light by HST, supplemented with ground-based optical observations for the earliest epochs. The synthetic spectra are calculated with the one dimensional MC radiative-transfer code TARDIS from self-consistent ejecta models. Among several physical parameters, we constrain the abundance profiles of nine chemical elements. We find that a distribution of $^{56}$Ni (and other iron-group elements) that extends toward the highest velocities reproduces the observed UV flux well. The presence of radioactive material in the outer layers of the ejecta, if confirmed, implies strong constraints on the possible explosion scenarios. We investigate the impact of the inferred $^{56}$Ni distribution on the early light curves with the radiative transfer code TURTLS, and confront the results with the observed light curves of ASASSN-14lp. The inferred abundances are not in conflict with the observed photometry. We also test whether the UV suppression can be reproduced if the radiation at the photosphere is significantly lower in the UV regime than the pure Planck function. In this case, solar metallicity might be sufficient enough at the highest velocities to reproduce the UV suppression.