Effects of Stellar Rotation on Star Formation Rates and Comparison to Core-Collapse Supernova Rates

Abstract

We investigate star formation rate (SFR) calibrations in light of recent developments in the modeling of stellar rotation. Using new published non-rotating and rotating stellar tracks, we study the integrated properties of synthetic stellar populations and find that the UV to SFR calibration for the rotating stellar population is 30% smaller than for the non-rotating stellar population, and 40% smaller for the Hα to SFR calibration. These reductions translate to smaller SFR estimates made from observed UV and Hα luminosities. Using the UV and Hα fluxes of a sample of ∼ 300 local galaxies, we derive a total (i.e., sky-coverage corrected) SFR within 11 Mpc of 120-170 M ⊙ yr −1 and 80-130 M ⊙ yr −1 for the non-rotating and rotating estimators, respectively. Independently, the number of core-collapse supernovae discovered in the same volume requires a total SFR of 270 +110−80 M ⊙ yr −1 , suggesting a tension with the SFR estimates made with rotating calibrations. More generally, when compared with the directly estimated SFR, the local supernova discoveries strongly constrain any physical effects that might increase the energy output of massive stars, including, but not limited to, stellar rotation. The cosmic SFR and cosmic supernova rate data on the other hand show the opposite trend, with the cosmic SFR higher than that inferred from cosmic supernovae, constraining a significant decrease in the energy output of massive stars. Together, these lines of evidence suggest that the true SFR calibration factors cannot be too far from their canonical values.

X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Emission from Core-collapse Supernovae: Comparison of Three-dimensional Neutrino-driven Explosions with SN 1987A

“…Optical surveys, however, are possibly also incomplete by ∼20 % even within 10 Mpc (Prieto et al 2012;Jencson et al 2017Jencson et al , 2018Tartaglia et al 2018). The fraction of stripped-envelope SNe is estimated to be in the range 0.25-0.35, with reasonable agreement between estimates based on local SNe observed over the past decades (Mattila et al 2012;Botti-cella et al 2012;Horiuchi et al 2013;Xiao & Eldridge 2015) and surveys of larger volumes (Smartt et al 2009;Arcavi et al 2010;Li et al 2011;Smith et al 2011). Thus, a reasonable estimate is that a CCSN should be detectable by NuSTAR every three years and the most likely candidates are stripped-envelope SNe.…”

“…The expected CCSN rate is around 0.1 per year within 3 Mpc and 1 per year within 10 Mpc (Arnaud et al 2004;Ando et al 2005;Botticella et al 2012;Horiuchi et al 2013;Xiao & Eldridge 2015). Inferred rates based on galaxy properties and star formation models are associated with uncertainties.…”

The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems

“…For example, a careful study of local SFR from analysis of an almost complete sample of nearby galaxies within 11 Mpc using different SFR indicators and supernova rate measurements during 13 years of observations [63] results in the local SFR density SFR loc ≃ 0.008 M ⊙ yr −1 Mpc −3 . However, Horiuchi et al [288] argue that estimates of the local SFR can be strongly affected by stellar rotation. Using new stellar evolutionary tracks [173], they derived the local SFR density SFR loc ≃ 0.017 M ⊙ yr −1 Mpc − 3 and noted that the estimate of the local SFR from core-collapse supernova counts is higher by a factor of 2–3.…”

The ASAS-SN Bright Supernova Catalog – II. 2015

“…As noted in Holoien et al (2017), such nearby rate calculations have the potential to impact a number of fields, including the nearby corecollapse rate (e.g. Horiuchi et al 2011Horiuchi et al , 2013 and multimessenger studies ranging from gravitational waves (e.g. Ando et al 2013;Nakamura et al 2016), to MeV gamma-rays from Type Ia supernovae (e.g.…”