The Magnetar Model for Type I Superluminous Supernovae. I. Bayesian Analysis of the Full Multicolor Light-curve Sample with MOSFiT
By M. Nicholl, J. Guillochon, E. Berger. 2017
178 citations recorded by the source corpus.
We use the new Modular Open Source Fitter for Transients to model 38 hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae (SLSNe). We fit their multicolor light curves with a magnetar spin-down model and present posterior distributions of magnetar and ejecta parameters. The color evolution can be fit with a simple absorbed blackbody. The medians (1σ ranges) for key parameters are spin period 2.4 ms (1.2–4 ms), magnetic field G ( G), ejecta mass 4.8 (2.2–12.9 ), and kinetic energy erg ( erg). This significantly narrows the parameter space compared to our uninformed priors, showing that although the magnetar model is flexible, the parameter space relevant to SLSNe is well constrained by existing data. The requirement that the instantaneous engine power is ∼1044 erg at the light-curve peak necessitates either large rotational energy ( ms), or more commonly that the spin-down and diffusion timescales be well matched. We find no evidence for separate populations of fast- and slow-declining SLSNe, which instead form a continuum in light-curve widths and inferred parameters. Variations in the spectra are explained through differences in spin-down power and photospheric radii at maximum light. We find no significant correlations between model parameters and host galaxy properties. Comparing our posteriors to stellar evolution models, we show that SLSNe require rapidly rotating (fastest 10%) massive stars ( ), which is consistent with their observed rate. High mass, low metallicity, and likely binary interaction all serve to maintain rapid rotation essential for magnetar formation. By reproducing the full set of light curves, our posteriors can inform photometric searches for SLSNe in future surveys.
Subfields: Astronomy and Astrophysics
View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/df8a18ceb6aab25f2be8c28d4b1b30e054ac6f28
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In Astronomy and Astrophysics
Citations in the corpus
- The Combined Ultraviolet, Optical, and Near-infrared Light Curves of the Kilonova Associated with the Binary Neutron Star Merger GW170817: Unified Data Set, Analytic Models, and Physical Implications (2017, methodology): “02 ) is indicative of a small neutron star radius of 12 km when compared to the results of numerical simulations (Bauswein et al. 2013; Hotokezaka et al. 2013; see also Nicholl et al. 2017).”
- An Embedded X-Ray Source Shines through the Aspherical AT 2018cow: Revealing the Inner Workings of the Most Luminous Fast-evolving Optical Transients (2018, background): “This strong B field is in the range of “magnetars” normally invoked as central engines of GRBs (Metzger et al. 2011), but larger than those inferred for SLSNe, which typically require Bd∼10 14 G (e.g., Kasen & Bildsten 2010; Inserra et al. 2013; Nicholl et al. 2017).”