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Eruptive mass loss less than a year before the explosion of superluminous supernovae: II. A systematic search for pre-explosion eruptions with VLT/X-shooter
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Astronomy. Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, The Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmo Particle Physics (OKC).ORCID iD: 0009-0000-9383-2305
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Astronomy. Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, The Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmo Particle Physics (OKC).ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8532-3594
Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, Department of Astronomy. Stockholm University, Faculty of Science, The Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmo Particle Physics (OKC).ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9454-4639
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2026 (English)In: Astronomy and Astrophysics, ISSN 0004-6361, E-ISSN 1432-0746, Vol. 707, article id A338Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

We present X-shooter spectroscopic and photometric observations of a sample of 21 hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae (SLSNe-I), spanning a redshift range of z = 0.13 − 0.95, aimed at searching for shells of circumstellar material (CSM). Specifically, we focused on identifying broad Mg II absorption features that are blueshifted by several thousand kilometers per second relative to the narrow absorption lines associated with the host galaxy. These broad features have previously been interpreted to arise from resonance line scattering of the SLSN continuum by rapidly expanding CSM ejected shortly before explosion. Utilizing high-quality near-ultraviolet spectra, we modeled the region around 2800 Å to characterize the Mg II line profiles, enabling us to either confirm their presence or place constraints on undetected CSM shells. We identified five objects in our sample that show broad Mg II absorption features consistent with the presence of CSM. While SN 2018ibb, SN 2020xga, and SN 2022xgc have been previously reported, we identified previously undiscovered CSM shells in DES15S2nr and DES16C3ggu. In the case of DES15S2nr, the CSM shell is located at ∼3.4 × 1015 cm and is moving with a maximum velocity of ∼4800 km s−1. For DES16C3ggu, the shell lies at ∼4.8 × 1015 cm and reaches up to ∼4700 km s−1. These shells were likely expelled approximately two and three months before the explosion of their respective associated SNe on timescales consistent with late-stage eruptive mass-loss episodes. We further found evidence that the velocities of the CSM shells in all objects lie within 3000 − 5000 km s−1, which may reflect an intrinsic property and could hint at a similar mass-ejection mechanism. We did not find any correlations between the shell properties and the SN properties, except for a marginal correlation between the light curve decline timescale and the shell velocities. This correlation needs further work; however, if it applies, it is a powerful link between the late-time mass ejection and eventual explosion. We further demonstrate that CSM configurations similar to the majority of the detected shells would have been observable in spectra with a signal-to-noise > 5 per resolution element, and that the lines from a shell are, in general, detectable except in cases where the shell is either very geometrically and/or optically thin. Therefore, we conclude that the non-detections are unlikely to arise from selection effects but they may instead point to the existence of a subclass of SLSN-I progenitors undergoing late-stage shell ejections shortly before explosion.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2026. Vol. 707, article id A338
Keywords [en]
supernovae: general, supernovae: individual: DES15S2nr, supernovae: individual: DES16C3ggu, supernovae: individual: SN2018ibb, supernovae: individual: SN2020xga, supernovae: individual: SN2022xgc
National Category
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-250054DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202557673ISI: 001718306600001OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-250054DiVA, id: diva2:2017533
Available from: 2025-11-29 Created: 2025-11-29 Last updated: 2026-05-07Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Probing Superluminous Supernovae with X-shooter Spectroscopy: Identifying pre-explosion eruptions and investigating spectral diversity
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Probing Superluminous Supernovae with X-shooter Spectroscopy: Identifying pre-explosion eruptions and investigating spectral diversity
2026 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Wide-field time-domain surveys have become essential tools for discovering and characterizing astrophysical transients, particularly supernovae (SNe). These explosive events mark the terminal stages of stellar evolution. Stars spend the majority of their lives fusing hydrogen in their cores, but in the most massive stars, those exceeding roughly 8-10 solar masses, the nuclear burning progresses through advanced stages until an iron core is formed. Unable to support itself against gravity, this core implodes, triggering a core-collapse supernova (CCSN), violently expelling the outer layers of the star.

Among CCSNe, superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) shine as some of the most extraordinary explosions in the Universe, outshining typical events by up to two orders of magnitude. Their extreme luminosities, extended light curves, and unusual spectra suggest massive progenitors and possibly exotic powering mechanisms. Yet, even within this rare class, significant diversity exists: some SLSNe exhibit spectral features that hint at unusual chemical compositions, while others show clear signs of eruptive mass loss at the onset of explosion. These events raise important questions about the late stages of stellar evolution, the variety of SLSN progenitors, and the physical mechanisms by which massive stars shed their outer layers in their final moments.

This thesis addresses these questions in two main components. The first part (Paper I) explores the spectral diversity of SLSNe, revealing how subtle differences in their observed features reflect variations in progenitor systems and/or powering mechanisms. The second part (Paper II and Paper III) probes pre-explosion mass loss, uncovering how some progenitors undergo eruptions shortly before core collapse. Using a high-quality spectroscopic sample and advanced modeling techniques, this work demonstrates that the observed diversity in SLSNe is a direct window into the lives of massive stars, offering new insights into the final moments of the stellar evolution.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, 2026. p. 93
Keywords
massive stars, mass loss, supernovae, superluminous supernovae, spectroscopy, photometry
National Category
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
Research subject
Astronomy
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:su:diva-250055 (URN)978-91-8107-464-2 (ISBN)978-91-8107-465-9 (ISBN)
Public defence
2026-02-02, FB52 AlbaNova universitetscentrum, Roslagstullsbacken 21 and online via Zoom, public link is available at the department website, Stockholm, 10:00 (English)
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Supervisors
Available from: 2026-01-08 Created: 2025-12-01 Last updated: 2025-12-12Bibliographically approved

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Gkini, AnamariaFransson, ClaesLunnan, RagnhildSollerman, JesperTsalapatas, KonstantinosGangopadhyay, AnjashaHu, YangPessi, Priscila JaelRusseil, EtienneSingh, AvinashSkoglund, Claudiavan Baal, BartWest, Stuart Lenox

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Gkini, AnamariaFransson, ClaesLunnan, RagnhildSollerman, JesperTsalapatas, KonstantinosGangopadhyay, AnjashaHu, YangPessi, Priscila JaelRusseil, EtienneSingh, AvinashSkoglund, Claudiavan Baal, BartWest, Stuart Lenox
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