The observed phase space of mass-loss history from massive stars based on radio observations of a large supernova sample

Abstract

In this work we study the circumstellar material (CSM) around massive stars, and the mass-loss rates depositing this CSM, using a large sample of radio observations of 325 core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe; only $\sim 22\%$ of them being detected). This sample comprises both archival data and our new observations of 99 CCSNe conducted with the AMI-LA radio array in a systematic approach devised to constrain the mass-loss at different stages of stellar evolution. In the SN-CSM interaction model, observing the peak of the radio emission of a SN provides the CSM density at a given radius (and therefore mass-loss rate that deposited this CSM). On the other hand, limits on the radio emission, and/or on the peak of the radio emission provide a region in the CSM phase space that can be ruled out. Our analysis shows discrepancy between the values of mass-loss rates derived from radio-detected and radio-non-detected SNe. Furthermore, we rule out mass-loss rates in the range of $2\times 10^{-6}-10^{-4}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot }\mathrm{y}{\mathrm{r}}^{-1}$ for different epochs during the last 1000 years before the explosion (assuming wind velocity of $10\mathrm{km}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$) for the progenitors of $\sim 80\%$ of the type II SNe in our sample. In addition, we rule out the ranges of mass-loss rates suggested for red supergiants for $\sim 50\%$ of the progenitors of type II SNe in our sample. We emphasize here that these results take a step forward in constraining mass-loss in winds from a statistical point of view.

22 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal