Swift and Chandra detections of supernova 2006jc: evidence for interaction of the supernova shock with a circumstellar shell
- Creators
- Immler, S.
- Modjaz, M.
- Landsman, W.
- Bufano, F.
- Brown, P. J.
- Milne, P.
- Dessart, L.
- Holland, S. T.
- Koss, M.
- Pooley, D.
- Kirshner, R. P.
- Filippenko, A. V.
- Panagia, N.
- Chevalier, R. A.
- Mazzali, P. A.
- Gehrels, N.
- Petre, R.
- Burrows, D. N.
- Nousek, J. A.
- Roming, P. W. A.
- Pian, E.
- Soderberg, A. M.
- Greiner, J.
Abstract
The peculiar Type Ib supernova (SN) 2006jc has been observed with the UV/Optical Telescope (UVOT) and X-Ray Telescope (XRT) on board the Swift observatory over a period of 19-183 days after the explosion. Signatures of interaction of the outgoing SN shock with dense circumstellar material (CSM) are detected, such as strong X-ray emission (L_(0.2–10) > 10^39 erg s^−1) and the presence of Mg II 2800 Å line emission visible in the UV spectra. In combination with a Chandra observation obtained on day 40 after the explosion, the X-ray light curve is constructed, which shows a unique rise of the X-ray emission by a factor of ~5 over a period of ~4 months, followed by a rapid decline. We interpret the unique X-ray and UV properties as a result of the SN shock interacting with a shell of material that was deposited by an outburst of the SN progenitor 2 years prior to the explosion. Our results are consistent with the explosion of a Wolf-Rayet star that underwent an episodic mass ejection qualitatively similar to those of luminous blue variable stars prior to its explosion. This led to the formation of a dense (~10^7 cm^−3) shell at a distance of ~10^16 cm from the site of the explosion, which expands with the WR wind at a velocity of 1300 ± 300 km s^−1.
Additional Information
© 2008 The American Astronomical Society. Received 2007 July 12; accepted 2008 January 9; published 2008 January 22. We gratefully acknowledge financial support of the NSF and NASA, especially the Swift and Chandra Guest Investigator Programs.Attached Files
Published - IMMapjl08.pdf
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Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 14304
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20090526-144731613
- NSF
- NASA
- Created
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2009-05-27Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-08Created from EPrint's last_modified field