Dust Production in a Thin Dense Shell in Supernovae with Early Circumstellar Interactions

TL;DR

This study models dust formation in the dense shell of supernovae with early circumstellar interactions, revealing how variations in ejecta mass and mass-loss rates influence dust mass and survival, with implications for understanding dust contribution to the universe.

Contribution

First modeling of dust formation mechanisms in the dense shell of supernovae with early circumstellar interaction considering diverse parameters.

Findings

Dust masses range from 10^{-3} to 0.8 solar masses.

Dust formation can continue for a decade post-explosion.

Dust behind the reverse shock is less likely to be destroyed.

Abstract

In supernovae (SNe), where the light curves show evidence of strong and early interaction between the ejecta and the circumstellar matter (CSM), the formation of new dust is estimated to take place in a dense shell of gas between the forward (FS) and the reverse shock (RS). For the first time, in this study, the mechanism of dust formation in this dense shell is modeled. A set of 9 cases, considering variations of the ejecta mass, and the pre-explosion mass-loss rates is considered, accounting for the diverse nature of interactions reported in such SNe. For a single main sequence mass, the variation of ejecta mass was manifested as a variation of the H-shell mass of the star, lost due to pre-explosion mass-loss. We find that the dust masses in the dense shell range between 10$^{-3}$ M$_{\odot}$ and 0.8 M$_{\odot}$, composed of O-rich and C-rich grains, whose relative proportions are determined by the nature of interaction. Dust formation in the post-shock gas is characterized by a gradual production rate, mostly ranging from 10$^{-6}$ to 10$^{-3}$ M$_{\odot}$ day$^{-1}$, which may continue for a decade, post-explosion. A higher mass-loss rate leads to a larger mass of dust, while a smaller ejecta mass (smaller left-over H-shell) increases the efficiency of dust production in such SNe. Dust formed behind the RS, as in our calculations, is not subject to destruction by either the FS or RS and is thus likely to survive in larger proportion than dust formed in the ejecta.