Type II-Plateau supernovae as metallicity probes of the Universe

Autor: Dessart, L., Gutierrez, C. P., Hamuy, M., Hillier, D. J., Lanz, T., Anderson, J. P., Folatelli, G., Freedman, W. L., Ley, F., Morrell, N., Persson, S. E., Phillips, M. M., Stritzinger, M., Suntzeff, N. B.
Rok vydání: 2014
Předmět:
Druh dokumentu: Working Paper
DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stu417
Popis: We explore a method for metallicity determinations based on quantitative spectroscopy of type II-Plateau (II-P) supernovae (SNe). For consistency, we first evolve a set of 15Msun main sequence stars at 0.1, 0.4, 1, and 2 x the solar metallicity. At the onset of core collapse, we trigger a piston-driven explosion and model the resulting ejecta and radiation. Our theoretical models of such red-supergiant-star explosions at different metallicity show that synthetic spectra of SNe II-P possess optical signatures during the recombination phase that are sensitive to metallicity variations. This sensitivity can be quantified and the metallicity inferred from the strength of metal-line absorptions. Furthermore, these signatures are not limited to O, but also include Na, Ca, Sc, Ti, or Fe. When compared to a sample of SNe II-P from the Carnegie SN Project and previous SN followup programs, we find that most events lie at a metallicity between 0.4 and 2 x solar, with a marked scarcity of SN II-P events at SMC metallicity. This most likely reflects the paucity of low metallicity star forming regions in the local Universe. SNe II-P have high plateau luminosities that make them observable spectroscopically at large distances. Because they exhibit signatures of diverse metal species, in the future they may offer a means to constrain the evolution of the composition (e.g., the O/Fe ratio) in the Universe out to a redshift of one and beyond.
Comment: accepted to MNRAS
Databáze: arXiv