Type Prediction of Stripped-envelope Supernovae by Wind-driven Mass Loss Progenitor Model

  • Published : 2020.10.13

Abstract

The hydrogen-rich envelope mass of a dying massive star is the key factor that determines the type and properties of the resulting supernova. Emulating wind-driven mass loss of single stars with the MESA(Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics) stellar evolution code, we made a grid of models for a large parameter space of initial mass (12 M⊙ to 30M⊙), metallicity (solar, LMC and SMC), hydrogen envelope mass (0.01M⊙ to 10M⊙) for progenitor stars in their final step of evolution. Our results suggest the final luminosity of the progenitor is largely determined by the initial mass, which means there is luminosity degeneracy for stars with the same initial mass but with different hydrogen-rich envelope masses. Since we can break this degeneracy by correcting luminosity with surface gravity (spectroscopic HR diagram), we can infer the exact mass property of an observed progenitor. The surface temperature drastically varies near the envelope mass of ~0.1M⊙ and surface temperature of ~10000 K, where the demarcation between the hydrogen-rich envelope and the helium core lies, which explains the rarity of 'white' supergiants. There also exists a discontinuity in the chemical composition of the progenitor envelope around this critical hydrogen-rich envelope mass of ~0.1 M⊙, which can be tested in future observations of "flash spectroscopy" of supernovae.

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