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National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Japan OISTER collaboration uncovers the origin of extraordinary supernovae

| Science

figure 1
Image around SN 2012dn obtained by the Kanata Telescope at Higashi-Hiroshima Observatory. SN 2012dn is seen near the center of this figure. The host galaxy ESO 462-G016 is seen on the left side of SN 2012dn. The distance to this galaxy is known to be 130 mega-light-years. Because the supernova is a point source, the expansion cannot be measured, but the evolutions of the brightness and color are obtained.

Using data obtained through the Optical and Infrared Synergetic Telescopes for Education and Research (OISTER) in Japan, Masayuki Yamanaka, a Taro Hirao Foundation Researcher at Konan University, demonstrated that the origin of extraordinary supernovae can be explained by the ‘accretion scenario.’ The researchers discovered an anomalously strong infrared emission from ‘the extraordinary supernova’ SN 2012dn, which has never been observed in other Type Ia supernovae to date. Through detailed analysis, the researchers concluded that the infrared emission comes from the material ejected from the progenitor system.

For details, see Masayuki Yamanaka (Taro Hirao Foundation Researcher) and his colleagues revealed the origin of 'extraordinary over-luminous supernova' using observational data obtained through the Optical Infrared Synergetic Telescope for Education and Research (Konan University)

figure 2
Telescopes in the various observatories of universities constituting OISTER. The participants are Okayama Astrophysical Observatory of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory, Hiroshima University, Kagoshima University, Hokkaido University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagoya University, Hyogo University, Kyoto Sangyo University, and Osaka Kyoiku University.

This research was published in ‘Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan’ on May 18, 2016. (Yamanaka et al. “OISTER optical and near-infrared observations of the super-Chandrasekhar supernova candidate SN 2012dn: Dust emission from the circumstellar shell”)

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