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Letters to Nature

Nature 424, 651-654 (7 August 2003) | doi:10.1038/nature01854; Received 2 April 2003; Accepted 16 June 2003

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An asymptotic-giant-branch star in the progenitor system of a type Ia supernova

Mario Hamuy1, M. M. Phillips2, Nicholas B. Suntzeff3, José Maza4, L. E. González4, Miguel Roth2, Kevin Krisciunas2, Nidia Morrell2, E. M. Green5, S. E. Persson1 & P. J. McCarthy1

  1. Carnegie Observatories, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, California 91101, USA
  2. Las Campanas Observatory, Carnegie Observatories, Casilla 601, La Serena, Chile
  3. Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Casilla 603, La Serena, Chile
  4. Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santiago, Chile
  5. University of Arizona, Steward Observatory, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA

Correspondence to: Mario Hamuy1 Email: mhamuy@ociw.edu

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Stars that explode as supernovae come in two main classes. A type Ia supernova is recognized by the absence of hydrogen and the presence of elements such as silicon and sulphur in its spectrum; this class of supernova is thought to produce the majority of iron-peak elements in the Universe. They are also used as precise 'standard candles' to measure the distances to galaxies. While there is general agreement that a type Ia supernova is produced by an exploding white dwarf star1, no progenitor system has ever been directly observed. Significant effort has gone into searching for circumstellar material to help discriminate between the possible kinds of progenitor systems2, but no such material has hitherto been found associated with a type Ia supernova3. Here we report the presence of strong hydrogen emission associated with the type Ia supernova SN2002ic, indicating the presence of large amounts of circumstellar material. We infer from this that the progenitor system contained a massive asymptotic-giant-branch star that lost several solar masses of hydrogen-rich gas before the supernova explosion.

  1. Carnegie Observatories, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, California 91101, USA
  2. Las Campanas Observatory, Carnegie Observatories, Casilla 601, La Serena, Chile
  3. Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Casilla 603, La Serena, Chile
  4. Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santiago, Chile
  5. University of Arizona, Steward Observatory, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA

Correspondence to: Mario Hamuy1 Email: mhamuy@ociw.edu