supernova taxonomy

supernova
type
Ia
Ic
Ib
IIb
IIL
IIP
IIn
observations

early spectra








H


no hydrogen present


hydrogen present
absent/weak in absorption,
but narrow
emission lines present
Si
silicon present
no/little silicon present
present

He

helium poor
helium rich
helium dominant
over hydrogen

helium present but
hydrogen dominant

O
yes






Mg, Si, S
yes,  near
max light
similar to II
strong
Fe-group
only at
later times
both early and late times


both early and late times









light curve rise

2 weeks


1 - 2 weeks,
followed by 1 - 2 months
at constant luminosity
light curve decay
after maximum
long, slow,
gradual
decline

similar to Ia


linear
decline

plateau
then decline
long slow decline
radio emission
none
often
(indicative of presence of circumstellar matter,
due to location in/near galactic plane)
x-ray emission
none?
some
(indicative of presence of circumstellar matter,
due to location in/near galactic plane)
host galaxies
all
(ellipitcals, spirals,
& irregulars)
spirals, barred spirals, occasionally irregulars,
in spiral arms
(rarely in S/E0 ??)








theory


Ia
Ic
Ib
IIb
IIP
IIL
II n



explosion mechanism
detonation
(supersonic front)
or
deflagration
(subsonic front)

of carbon core
of a
white dwarf

core collapse of a massive
(greater than 8 solar masses)
supergiant star

(initial mass: 10 - 50? solar masses)

presence or
absence of H/He



no H/He
remaining in progenitor


hydrogen depleted by:
hydrogen rich
hydrogen
depleted by
tidal
stripping?
winds (Wolf-Rayet progenitors)
 or binary interactions
tidal stripping


He mantle also removed
He mantle not removed











post-SN luminosity
powered by
entirely by
radioactive
decay
entirely by
radioactive
decay
entirely by
radioactive
decay

shock energy
+
radioactive
decay?
interaction
with circumstellar
matter








post-SN remnant

none

neutron star (or non-prompt black hole)
















examples
SN1006
Tycho?
Kepler



1987A
Cas A?
Crab?



acknowledgments:  based on J. C. Wheeler's Resource Letter in AJP, January 2003, vol. 71, page 11

and

M. Montes' Supernova Taxonomy webpage