Can circumstellar interaction explain the strange light curve features of Type Ib/c supernovae?

TL;DR

This study investigates whether circumstellar interaction from recent stellar eruptions can explain unusual light curve features in Type Ib/c supernovae, using hydrodynamic models of single and binary progenitors.

Contribution

It demonstrates that circumstellar matter from pre-explosion eruptions can account for peculiar light curve features in these supernovae.

Findings

Circumstellar interaction can produce bumps and re-brightening in light curves.

Binary progenitors may be distinguished by light curve shape.

Dense circumstellar matter explains some strange supernova features.

Abstract

Context. The evolution and the surrounding of stripped-envelope supernova progenitors are still under debate: some studies suggest single-star, while others prefer massive binary progenitors. Moreover, the basic physical properties of the exploding star and its interaction with circumstellar matter could significantly modify the overall light curve features of these objects. To better understand the effect of stellar evolution and circumstellar interaction, systematic hydrodynamic calculations are needed. Aims. Here, we test the hypothesis that circumstellar matter generated by an extreme episodic $\eta$ Carinae-like eruption that occurs days or weeks before the supernova explosion may explain the controversies related to the general light curve features of stripped-envelope supernovae. Methods. In this work, we present our bolometric light curve calculations of both single- and binary progenitors generated by hydrodynamic simulations via MESA and SNEC. We also studied the effect of an interaction with a close, low-mass circumstellar matter assumed to be created just a few days or weeks before the explosion. Beyond generating a model light curve grid, we compared our results with some observational data. Results. We found that merely the shape of the supernova light curve could indicate that the cataclysmic death of the massive star happened in a binary system or was related to the explosion of a single star. Moreover, our study also shows that a confined dense circumstellar matter may be responsible for the strange light curve features (bumps, re-brightening, or steeper tail) of some Type Ib/c supernovae.