SN 2005 gj: Evidence for LBV supernovae progenitors?

Abstract

There has been mounting observational evidence in favour of Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs) being the direct progenitors of supernovae. Here we present possibly the most convincing evidence yet for such progenitors. We find multiple absorption component P-Cygni profiles of hydrogen and helium in the spectrum of SN 2005gj, which we interpret as being an imprint of the progenitors mass-loss history. Such profiles have previously only been detected in Luminous Blue Variables. This striking resemblance of the profiles, along with wind velocities and periods consistent with LBV's leads us to connect SN 2005gj to an LBV progenitor.

Accepted as a letter to A&A, 4 pages,3 figures

References in corpus (3)

• A giant outburst two years before the core-collapse of a massive star
• SN 2006jc: A Wolf-Rayet Star Exploding in a Dense He-Rich Circumstellar Medium
• Discovery of a nearby twin of SN1987A's nebula around the luminous blue variable HD168625: Was Sk--69 202 an LBV?

Cited by in corpus (7)

• The death of massive stars - I. Observational constraints on the progenitors of type II-P supernovae
• Mass loss from hot massive stars
• Variable Sodium Absorption in a Low-Extinction Type Ia Supernova
• Massive stars exploding in a He-rich circumstellar medium. II. The transitional case of SN 2005la
• Diversity of supernovae Ia determined using equivalent widths of Si II 4000
• Galactic vs. Extragalactic Origin of the Peculiar Transient SCP 06F6
• Massive stars in their death-throes