Relative frequencies of core-collapse supernovae as a function of metallicity: observations vs theoretical predictions

Abstract

Understanding supernova (SN) progenitors remains a major challenge in astrophysics, as it involves untangling the complex interplay between stellar physics (e.g., evolution, binarity, explosion) and environments (e.g., metallicity, star formation rate). To address this, we present relative frequencies of core-collapse SNe (CCSNe) as a function of metallicity using two complementary samples: (i) all literature SNe that have associated host galaxy parameters (absolute magnitudes, stellar masses, and/or oxygen abundances); and (ii) SNe classified between 2019 and 2024 with host magnitude information, including distance-limited subsamples within 50 Mpc and 100 Mpc. We found that CCSNe from the literature sample are associated with luminous galaxies, reflecting both the higher stellar content of such systems and selection biases inherent to targeted surveys. In contrast, the distance-limited subsamples provide a less biased view, showing that hydrogen-rich SNe (SNe II) are more commonly found in lower-luminosity galaxies than stripped-envelope SNe (SESNe). Comparisons between the literature sample and distance-limited subsamples indicate that trends derived from global measurements remain consistent. For the SESNe-to-SNe II ratios, we confirm a slight increase with metallicity, reflecting a higher fraction of SESNe in metal-rich environments. Comparison with theoretical predictions shows that models including either binary interactions or rotation can broadly reproduce the observed trends, although degeneracies remain, and no single scenario uniquely explains the data. Overall, our results provide observational constraints on massive-star evolution and highlight the key role of metallicity and binarity in shaping the observed diversity of CCSNe.

arXiv commentAccepted in A&A (12 pages, 11 figures and 3 tables)

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