A Generalized Semi-Analytic Model for Magnetar-Driven Supernovae

TL;DR

This paper introduces a comprehensive semi-analytic model for magnetar-driven supernovae that accounts for ejecta dynamics and non-dipole spin-down, enabling more accurate parameter estimation from lightcurves.

Contribution

The work presents a new, flexible model that relaxes previous assumptions, improving the inference of physical parameters from supernova lightcurves.

Findings

Model reproduces superluminous and broad-line Ic supernova lightcurves.

Accurately recovers parameters consistent with previous studies.

Demonstrates effectiveness on four well-known supernovae.

Abstract

Several types of energetic supernovae, such as superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) and broad-line Ic supernovae (Ic-BL SNe), could be powered by the spin-down of a rapidly rotating magnetar. Currently, most models used to infer the parameters for potential magnetar-driven supernovae make several unsuitable assumptions that likely bias the estimated parameters. In this work, we present a new model for magnetar-driven supernovae that relaxes several of these assumptions and an inference workflow that enables accurate estimation of parameters from lightcurves of magnetar-driven supernovae. In particular, in this model, we include the dynamical evolution of the ejecta, coupling it to the energy injected by the magnetar itself while also allowing for non-dipole spin down. We show that the model can reproduce SLSN and Ic-BL SN light curves consistent with the parameter space from computationally expensive numerical models. We also show the results of parameter inference on four well-known example supernovae, demonstrating the model's effectiveness at capturing the considerable diversity in magnetar-driven supernova lightcurves. The model fits each light curve well and recovers parameters broadly consistent with previous works. This model will allow us to explore the full diversity of magnetar-driven supernovae under one theoretical framework, more accurately characterize these supernovae from only photometric data, and make more accurate predictions of future multiwavelength emission to test the magnetar-driven scenario better.