Interacting supernovae and where to find them

TL;DR

This paper models supernova interactions with complex circumstellar media, predicting enhanced gamma-ray and multiwavelength emissions, and suggests observational strategies for detecting these signals.

Contribution

It extends previous models by incorporating complex CSM density profiles, including dense shells, and predicts their impact on observable signatures across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Findings

Interaction with dense CSM shells significantly boosts gamma-ray emission.

Peak luminosity can exceed smooth wind models by orders of magnitude.

Detectable gamma-ray signals may be observed up to tens of Mpc.

Abstract

Early interaction of supernova blast waves with CSM has the potential to accelerate particles to PeV energies, although this has not yet been detected. Current models for this interaction assume the shock expands into a smooth stellar wind, although observations of many SNe do not support this assumption. We extend previous work by considering shocks expanding into complex density profiles consisting of smooth winds with dense CSM shells at various distances from the progenitor star. We aim to predict the gamma-ray and multiwavelength signatures of CSM interaction. We used the PION code to model the CSM around LBV including a brief episode of enhanced mass-loss and to simulate the formation of photoionization-confined shells around RSGs. Consequently, we used the time-dependent acceleration-code RATPaC to study the acceleration of cosmic rays in SNe expanding into these media and to evaluate the emitted radiation across the whole electromagnetic spectrum. We find that the interaction with the CSM shells can significantly boost the gamma-ray emission, with the emission peaking weeks to years after the explosion. The peak luminosity for Type-IIP and Type-IIn remnants can exceed the luminosity expected for smooth winds by orders of magnitude. For Type-IIP explosions, the light-curve peak is only reached years after the explosion. We evaluate the multiwavelength signatures expected from the interaction of the blast wave with a dense CSM shell from radio, over optical, to thermal X-rays. We identify high-cadence optical surveys and continuous monitoring of nearby SN in radio and mm wavelengths as the best-suited strategies for identifying targets that should be followed-up by gamma-ray observatories. We predict that gamma-rays from interaction with dense CSM shells may be detectable out to a few Mpc for late interaction, and tens of Mpc for early interaction.