Polarization Signature of Companion-Fed Supernovae Arising from BH-NS/BH Progenitor Systems

TL;DR

This paper models the polarization signatures of supernovae influenced by black hole companions, revealing how polarization varies with binary configuration and ejecta shape, aiding in identifying such events and understanding their formation.

Contribution

Developed a 3D Monte Carlo simulation to analyze polarization in companion-fed supernovae, linking polarization features to binary parameters and ejecta geometry.

Findings

Maximum polarization of ~2 at SN peak in close binaries

Maximum polarization of ~0.7 at later times in distant binaries

Polarization depends on luminosity unevenness and viewing angle

Abstract

The formation of black hole-neutron star (BH-NS) or BH-BH systems may be accompanied with special supernova (SN) signals, due to the accretion feedback from the companion BH. The additional heating, which is mainly attributed to the Blandford-Payne mechanism, would disrupt the isotropic nature of the luminosity distribution on the surface of the SN ejecta, leading to the appearance of polarization. Here we develop a three dimensional (3D) Monte Carlo polarization simulation code (MCPSC) to conduct simulations for these special SNe. We find that the maximum polarization level of approximately \sim 2 occurs at the peak time of SN emission in the "close-binary" scenario, while in the "faraway-binary" case, maximum polarization (i.e. \sim 0.7) is observed at a considerably later time than the peak of the SN. The magnitude of polarization is dependent on the degree of unevenness in the luminosity distribution and the angle between the line of sight and the equatorial direction. When considering the geometric distortion of supernova ejecta at the same time, the magnitude of polarization may either increase (for a oblate ellipsoidal shape) or decrease (for a prolate ellipsoidal shape). The polarization signatures represent a promising auxiliary instrument to facilitate the identification of the companion-fed SNe. Moreover, by comparing the event rate of these special SNe with the event rate density of LIGO-Virgo detected BH-NS/BH systems could further help to distinguish the BH-NS/BH formation channel.