Circumstellar Material Ejected Violently by A Massive Star Immediately before its Death
Jujia Zhang, Han Lin, Xiaofeng Wang, Zeyi Zhao, Liping Li, Jialian, Liu, Shenyu Yan, Danfeng Xiang, Huijuan Wang, Jinming Bai

TL;DR
This study analyzes the circumstellar material ejected by the progenitor of supernova SN 2023ixf shortly before its explosion, revealing a high mass-loss rate and a dense shell close to the star, providing insights into the final stages of massive star evolution.
Contribution
First detailed constraints on the circumstellar environment of SN 2023ixf using early spectra, indicating recent intense mass loss from the progenitor.
Findings
Progenitor lost material at ~6 x 10^{-4} M_sun/year in last 2-3 years.
Circumstellar shell located within 7 x 10^{14} cm of the star.
Progenitor likely a yellow hypergiant evolving from a red supergiant.
Abstract
Type II supernovae represent the most common stellar explosions in the Universe, for which the final stage evolution of their hydrogen-rich massive progenitors towards core-collapse explosion are elusive. The recent explosion of SN 2023ixf in a very nearby galaxy, Messier 101, provides a rare opportunity to explore this longstanding issue. With the timely high-cadence flash spectra taken within 1-5 days after the explosion, we can put stringent constraints on the properties of the surrounding circumstellar material around this supernova. Based on the rapid fading of the narrow emission lines and luminosity/profile of emission at very early times, we estimate that the progenitor of SN 2023ixf lost material at a mass-loss rate over the last 2-3 years before explosion. This close-by material, moving at a velocity…
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Taxonomy
TopicsAstro and Planetary Science · Planetary Science and Exploration
