We present optical/near-infrared photometry and spectra of the type Ia SN 2002bo spanning epochs from -13 days before maximum B-band light to +102 days after. The pre-maximum optical coverage is particularly complete. In some respects, SN 2002bo behaves as a typical "Branch normal" type Ia supernova (SN Ia) at optical and IR wavelengths. We find a B-band risetime of 17.9+-0.5 days, a Dm_{15}(B) of 1.13+-0.05, and a M_B=-19.41+-0.42. However, comparison with other type Ia supernovae having similar Delta m_{15}(B) values indicates that in other respects SN 2002bo is unusual. While the optical spectra of SN 2002bo are very similar to those of SN 1984A, lower velocities and a generally more structured appearance are found in SNe 1990N, 1994D and 1998bu. For supernovae having Dm_(15)(B) > 1.2, we confirm the variation of R(SiII) (Nugent et al. 1995) with Dm_(15)(B). However, for supernovae such as SN2002bo, with lower values of Dm_(15)(B) the relation breaks down. Moreover, the evolution of R(SiII) for SN 2002bo is strikingly different from that shown by other type Ia supernovae. The velocities of SN 2002bo and 1984A derived from SII 5640A, SiII 6355A and CaII H&K lines are either much higher and/or evolve differently from those seen in other normal SNe Ia events. We suggest that the unusually low temperature, the presence of high-velocity intermediate-mass elements and the low abundance of carbon at early times indicates that burning to Si penetrated to much higher layers than in more normal type Ia supernovae. This may be indicative of a delayed-detonation explosion.Comment: Accepted to MNRAS. Some near-IR photometry has been added. The paper can be retrieved also at http://web.pd.astro.it/supern/ps/sn02bo_v17_mn2.ps.g

Optical and near‐infrared (near‐IR) observations of the Type Ic supernova (SN Ic) 2004aw are presented, obtained from −3 to +413 d with respect to the B‐band maximum. The photometric evolution is characterized by a comparatively slow post‐maximum decline of the light curves. The peaks in redder bands are significantly delayed relative to the bluer bands, the I‐band maximum occurring 8.4 d later than that in B. With an absolute peak magnitude of −18.02 in the V band the SN can be considered fairly bright, but not exceptional. This also holds for the U through I bolometric light curve, where SN 2004aw has a position intermediate between SNe 2002ap and 1998bw. Spectroscopically SN 2004aw provides a link between a normal SN Ic like SN 1994I and the group of broad‐lined SNe Ic. The spectral evolution is rather slow, with a spectrum at day +64 being still predominantly photospheric. The shape of the nebular [O i]λλ6300, 6364 line indicates a highly aspherical explosion. Helium cannot be unambiguously identified in the spectra, even in the near‐IR. Using an analytical description of the light‐curve peak we find that the total mass of the ejecta in SN 2004aw is 3.5–8.0 M⊙, significantly larger than that in SN 1994I, although not as large as in SN 1998bw. The same model suggests that about 0.3 M⊙ of 56Ni has been synthesized in the explosion. No connection to a GRB can be firmly established.

Aims. We present a study of the optical and near-infrared (NIR) properties of the Type Ia Supernova (SN Ia) 2003du.Methods. An extensive set of optical and NIR photometry and low-resolution long-slit spectra was obtained using a number of facilities. The observations started 13 days before B-band maximum light and continued for 480 days with exceptionally good time sampling. The optical photometry was calibrated through the S-correction technique. Results. The UBVRIJHK light curves and the color indices of SN 2003du closely resemble those of normal SNe Ia. SN 2003du reached a B-band maximum of 13.49 ± 0.02 mag on JD2 452 766.38 ± 0.5. We derive a B-band stretch parameter of 0.988 ± 0.003, which corresponds to ∆m 15 = 1.02 ±0.05, indicative of a SN Ia of standard luminosity. The reddening in the host galaxy was estimated by three methods, and was consistently found to be negligible. Using an updated calibration of the V and JHK absolute magnitudes of SNe Ia, we find a distance modulus µ = 32.79 ± 0.15 mag to the host galaxy, UGC 9391. We measure a peak uvoir bolometric luminosity of 1.35(±0.20) × 10 43 erg s −1 and Arnett's rule implies that M56 Ni 0.68 ± 0.14 M of 56 Ni was synthesized during the explosion. Modeling of the uvoir bolometric light curve also indicates M56 Ni in the range 0.6−0.8 M . The spectral evolution of SN 2003du at both optical and NIR wavelengths also closely resembles normal SNe Ia. In particular, the Si ii ratio at maximum R(Si ii) = 0.22 ± 0.02 and the time evolution of the blueshift velocities of the absorption line minima are typical. The pre-maximum spectra of SN 2003du showed conspicuous high-velocity features in the Ca ii H&K doublet and infrared triplet, and possibly in Si ii λ6355, lines. We compare the time evolution of the profiles of these lines with other well-observed SNe Ia and we suggest that the peculiar pre-maximum evolution of Si ii λ6355 line in many SNe Ia is due to the presence of two blended absorption components.

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.

We present mid-infrared observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope of the nearby type II-P supernova, SN 2004dj, at epochs of 89 to 129 days. We have obtained the first mid-IR spectra of any supernova apart from SN 1987A. A prominent [NiII] λ6.64 µm line is observed, from which we deduce that the mass of stable nickel must be at least 2.2 × 10 −4 M ⊙ . We also observe the red wing of the CO-fundamental band. We relate our findings to possible progenitors and favour an evolved star, most likely a red supergiant, with a probable initial mass between ∼10 and 15 M ⊙ .

We present optical spectroscopic data of the inner circumstellar ring around SN 1987A from the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT) and the Very Large Telescope (VLT) between ∼1400 and ∼5000 days post-explosion. We also assembled the available optical and near-infrared line fluxes from the literature between ∼300 and ∼2000 days. These line light curves were fitted with a photoionization model to determine the density structure and the elemental abundances for the inner ring. We found densities ranging from 1×10 3 to 3×10 4 atoms cm −3 and a total mass of the ionized gas of ∼5.8 × 10 −2 M ⊙ within the inner ring. Abundances inferred from the optical and near-infrared data were also complemented with estimates of Lundqvist & Fransson (1996) based on ultraviolet lines. This way we found an He/H-ratio (by number of atoms) of 0.17 ± 0.06 which is roughly 30% lower than previously estimated and twice the solar and the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) value. We found an N/O-ratio of 1.5 ± 0.7, and the total (C+N+O)/(H+He) abundance about 1.6 times its LMC value or roughly 0.6 times the most recent solar value. An iron abundance of 0.20 ± 0.11 times solar was found which is within the range of the estimates for the LMC. We also present late time (∼5000 -7500 days) line light curves of [O III], [Ne III], [Ne IV], [Ar III], [Ar IV], and [Fe VII] from observations with the VLT.We compared these with model fluxes and found that an additional 10 2 atoms cm −3 component was required to explain the data of the highest ionization lines. Such low density gas is expected in the H II-region interior to the inner ring which likely extends also to larger radii at higher latitudes (out of the ring plane). At epochs later than ∼5000 days our models underproduce the emission of most of these lines as expected due to the contribution from the interaction of the supernova ejecta with the ring. Subject headings: circumstellar matter -supernovae: individual (SN 1987A)

We present results based on Spitzer Space Telescope mid-infrared (3.6-30 µm) observations of the nearby IIP supernova 2005af. We report the first ever detection of the SiO molecule in a Type IIP supernova. Together with the detection of the CO fundamental, this is an exciting finding as it may signal the onset of dust condensation in the ejecta. From a wealth of fine-structure lines we provide abundance estimates for stable Ni, Ar, and Ne which, via spectral synthesis, may be used to constrain nucleosynthesis models.

We present mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy of a Type II-plateau supernova, SN 2004dj, obtained with the Spitzer Space Telescope, spanning 106-1393 days after explosion. MIR photometry plus optical/near-IR observations are also reported. An early-time MIR excess is attributed to emission from non-silicate dust formed within a cool dense shell (CDS). Most of the CDS dust condensed between 50 days and 165 days, reaching a mass of 0.3 × 10 −5 M . Throughout the observations, much of the longer wavelength (>10 μm) part of the continuum is explained as an IR echo from interstellar dust. The MIR excess strengthened at later times. We show that this was due to thermal emission from warm, non-silicate dust formed in the ejecta. Using optical/near-IR line profiles and the MIR continua, we show that the dust was distributed as a disk whose radius appeared to be shrinking slowly. The disk radius may correspond to a grain destruction zone caused by a reverse shock which also heated the dust. The dust-disk lay nearly face-on, had high opacities in the optical/near-IR regions, but remained optically thin in the MIR over much of the period studied. Assuming a uniform dust density, the ejecta dust mass by 996 days was (0.5 ± 0.1) × 10 −4 M and exceeded 10 −4 M by 1393 days. For a dust density rising toward the center the limit is higher. Nevertheless, this study suggests that the amount of freshly synthesized dust in the SN 2004dj ejecta is consistent with that found from previous studies and adds further weight to the claim that such events could not have been major contributors to the cosmic dust budget.