English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Despite indications that superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) originate frommassive progenitors, the lack of a uniformly analyzed statistical sample has sofar prevented a detailed view of the progenitor mass distribution. Here wepresent and analyze the pre-explosion mass distribution of hydrogen-poor SLSNprogenitors as determined from uniformly modelled light curves of 62 events. Weconstruct the distribution by summing the ejecta mass posteriors of each event,using magnetar light curve models presented in our previous works (and using anominal neutron star remnant mass). The resulting distribution spans $3.6-40$M$_{\odot}$, with a sharp decline at lower masses, and is best fit by a brokenpower law described by ${\rm d}N/{\rm dlog}M \propto M^{-0.41 \pm 0.06}$ at$3.6-8.6$ M$_{\odot}$ and $\propto M^{-1.26 \pm 0.06}$ at $8.6-40$ M$_{\odot}$.We find that observational selection effects cannot account for the shape ofthe distribution. Relative to Type Ib/c SNe, the SLSN mass distribution extendsto much larger masses and has a different power-law shape, likely indicatingthat the formation of a magnetar allows more massive stars to explode as someof the rotational energy accelerates the ejecta. Comparing the SLSNdistribution with predictions from single and binary star evolution models, wefind that binary models for a metallicity of $Z\lesssim 1/3$ Z$_{\odot}$ arebest able to reproduce its broad shape, in agreement with the preference ofSLSNe for low metallicity environments. Finally, we uncover a correlationbetween the pre-explosion mass and the magnetar initial spin period, whereSLSNe with low masses have slower spins, a trend broadly consistent with theeffects of angular momentum transport evident in models of rapidly-rotatingcarbon-oxygen stars.

The Pre-Explosion Mass Distribution of Hydrogen-Poor Superluminous Supernova Progenitors and New Evidence for a Mass-Spin Correlation