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A hypernova model for the supernova associated with the γ-ray burst of 25 April 1998

Nature volume 395, pages 672–674 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

The discovery of the unusual supernova SN1998bw, and its possible association with the γ-ray burst GRB 9804251,2,3, provide new insights into the explosion mechanism of very massive stars and the origin of some classes of γ-ray bursts. Optical spectra indicate that SN1998bw is a type Ic supernova3,4, but its peak luminosity is unusually high compared with typical type Ic supernovae3. Here we report our findings that the optical spectra and the light curve of SN1998bw can be well reproduced by an extremely energetic explosion of a massive star composed mainly of carbon and oxygen (having lost its hydrogen and helium envelopes). The kinetic energy of the ejecta is as large as +(2–5)× 1052 erg, more than ten times that of previously observed supernovae. This type of supernova could therefore be termed ‘hypernova’. The extremely large energy suggests the existence of a new mechanism of massive star explosion that can also produce the relativistic shocks necessary to generate the observed γ-rays.

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Figure 1: Light curves of three type Ic supernovae, SN1998bw, 1997ef, 1994I and their models.
Figure 2: Observed spectra of SN1998bw and synthetic spectra.
Figure 3: Photospheric velocities of SN1998bw.

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Acknowledgements

This study is based partly on observations collected at ESO-La Silla.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Astronomy, School of Science, University of Tokyo, 113-0033, Tokyo, Japan

    K. Iwamoto, K. Nomoto, H. Umeda, T. Nakamura, T. R. Young, T. Suzuki & T. Shigeyama

  2. Research Centre for the Early Universe, School of Science, University of Tokyo, 113-0033, Tokyo, Japan

    K. Nomoto, H. Umeda, T. Suzuki & T. Shigeyama

  3. Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, via G.B. Tiepolo 11, I-34131, Trieste, Italy

    P. A. Mazzali & I. J. Danziger

  4. European Southern Observatory, Casilla, 19001, Santiago 19, Chile

    F. Patat, T. Augusteijn, V. Doublier, J.-F. Gonzalez, H. Boehnhardt, J. Brewer, O. R. Hainaut & C. Lidman

  5. European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, D-85748, Garching, Germany

    B. Leibundgut

  6. Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, I-35122, Padova, Italy

    E. Cappellaro & M. Turatto

  7. Astronomical Institute Anton Pannekoek, University of Amsterdam, and Center for High Energy Astrophysics, Kruislaan 403, 1098, SJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    T. J. Galama, P. M. Vreeswijk & J. van Paradijs

  8. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, ES-84, Huntsville, 35812, Alabama, USA

    C. Kouveliotou

  9. Istituto Tecnologie e Studio Radiazioni Extraterrestri, CNR, Bologna, Italy

    E. Pian, E. Palazzi & F. Frontera

  10. Department of Physics, University of Alabama, Huntsville, 35899, Alabama, USA

    J. van Paradijs

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  1. K. Iwamoto
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  21. T. J. Galama
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  22. P. M. Vreeswijk
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  25. E. Pian
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Correspondence to K. Nomoto.

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Iwamoto, K., Mazzali, P., Nomoto, K. et al. A hypernova model for the supernova associated with the γ-ray burst of 25 April 1998. Nature 395, 672–674 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/27155

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