Inferring Explosion Properties from Type II-Plateau Supernova Light Curves

Abstract

We present advances in modeling Type IIP supernovae using MESA for evolution to shock breakout coupled with STELLA for generating light and radial velocity curves. Explosion models and synthetic light curves can be used to translate observable properties of supernovae (such as the luminosity at day 50 and the duration of the plateau, as well as the observable quantity $ET$, defined as the time-weighted integrated luminosity that would have been generated if there was no ${}^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$ in the ejecta) into families of explosions which produce the same light curve and velocities on the plateau. These predicted families of explosions provide a useful guide towards modeling observed SNe, and can constrain explosion properties when coupled with other observational or theoretical constraints. For an observed supernova with a measured ${}^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$ mass, breaking the degeneracies within these families of explosions (ejecta mass, explosion energy, and progenitor radius) requires independent knowledge of one parameter. We expect the most common case to be a progenitor radius measurement for a nearby supernova. We show that ejecta velocities inferred from the Fe II$\lambda$ 5169 line measured during the majority of the plateau phase provide little additional information about explosion characteristics. Only during the initial shock cooling phase can photospheric velocity measurements potentially aid in unraveling light curve degeneracies.

26 pages, 30 figures. ApJ: Received 2019 March 21; revised 2019 May 13; accepted 2019 May 17; published 2019 June 26

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