Open AccessThe exceptionally bright Type Ib supernova 1991D
Author(s) -
Benetti S.,
Branch D.,
Turatto M.,
Cappellaro E.,
Baron E.,
Zampieri L.,
Della Valle M.,
Pastorello A.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05706.x
Subject(s) - physics , supernova , astrophysics , photosphere , light curve , radius , spectral line , astronomy , type (biology) , ecology , biology , computer security , computer science
Photometric and spectroscopic observations of the peculiar Type Ib supernova 1991D are presented. SN 1991D was exceptionally bright for a Type Ib supernova. The He i lines were rather weak and the velocity at the photosphere as a function of time was unusually low. Comparison of the observed and synthetic spectra indicates that either hydrogen was ejected with a minimum velocity of 12 000 km s −1 or the spectrum contained features caused by lines of Ne i . Light curve modelling suggests that the progenitor probably had a very large radius (∼10 14 cm) and that a considerable amount of 56 Ni was synthesized during the explosion (∼0.7 M ⊙ ). We suggest a progenitor model of SN 1991D that involves a binary system.