Open AccessOn the nature of the circumstellar medium of the remarkable Type Ia/IIn supernova SN 2002ic
Author(s) -
Kotak R.,
Meikle W. P. S.,
Adamson A.,
Leggett S. K.
Publication year - 2004
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.08306.x
Subject(s) - physics , supernova , astrophysics , galaxy , asymptotic giant branch , infrared , circumstellar dust , star formation , astronomy , outflow , stars , meteorology
We present results from the first high‐resolution, high signal‐to‐noise ratio spectrum of SN 2002ic. The resolved Hα line has a P Cygni‐type profile, clearly demonstrating the presence of a dense, slow‐moving (∼100 km s −1 ) outflow. We have additionally found a huge near‐infrared excess, hitherto unseen in Type Ia supernovae. We argue that this is due to an infrared light‐echo arising from the pre‐existing dusty circumstellar medium. We deduce a circumstellar medium mass probably exceeding 0.3 M ⊙ produced by a mass‐loss rate greater than several times 10 −4 M ⊙ yr −1 . For the progenitor, we favour a single‐degenerate system where the companion is a post‐asymptotic giant branch star. As a by‐product of our optical data, we are able to provide a firm identification of the host galaxy of SN 2002ic.