SN 2020pvb: A Type IIn-P supernova with a precursor outburst

N. Elias-Rosa, S. J. Brennan, S. Benetti, E. Cappellaro, A. Pastorello, A. Kozyreva, P. Lundqvist, M. Fraser, J. P. Anderson, Y. Z. Cai, T. W. Chen, M. Dennefeld, M. Gromadzki, C. P. Gutiérrez, N. Ihanec, C. Inserra, E. Kankare, R. Kotak, S. Mattila, S. MoranT. E. Müller-Bravo, P. J. Pessi, G. Pignata, A. Reguitti, T. M. Reynolds, S. J. Smartt, K. Smith, L. Tartaglia, G. Valerin, T. De Boer, K. Chambers, A. Gal-Yam, H. Gao, S. Geier, P. A. Mazzali, M. Nicholl, F. Ragosta, A. Rest, O. Yaron, D. R. Young

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We present photometric and spectroscopic datasets for SN 2020pvb, a Type IIn-P supernova (SN) that is similar to SNe 1994W, 2005cl, 2009kn, and 2011ht, with a precursor outburst detected (PS1 w band ∼- 13.8 mag) around four months before the B-band maximum light. SN 2020pvb presents a relatively bright light curve that peaked at MB = -17.95 ± 0.30 mag and a plateau that lasted at least 40 days before going into solar conjunction. After this, the object was no longer visible at phases > 150 days above - 12.5 mag in the B band, suggesting that the SN 2020pvb ejecta interact with a dense, spatially confined circumstellar envelope. SN 2020pvb shows strong Balmer lines and a forest of Fe II lines with narrow P Cygni profiles in its spectra. Using archival images from the Hubble Space Telescope, we constrained the progenitor of SN 2020pvb to have a luminosity of log(L/L)≤5.4, ruling out any single star progenitor over 50 M. SN 2020pvb is a Type IIn-P whose progenitor star had an outburst*sim;0.5 yr before the final explosion; the material lost during this outburst probably plays a role in shaping the physical properties of the SN.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberA13
JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics
Volume686
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jun 2024

Keywords

  • Supernovae: general
  • Supernovae: individual: SN 2020pvb

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