New Insights into Supernova Precursor Emissions Using LSST

Recent research titled "Finding the Fuse: Prospects for the Detection and Characterization of Hydrogen-Rich Core-Collapse Supernova Precursor Emission with the LSST" explores the potential for detecting precursor emissions from core-collapse supernovae (SNe) using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). The study highlights that enhanced emissions have been observed in the months to years leading up to several core-collapse supernovae, with light curves indicating long-lived, plateau-like behavior. This suggests that hydrogen recombination may play a significant role in the energy dynamics of these events.

The LSST is expected to provide a decade-long photometric baseline, allowing for the observation of these precursor emissions both in single-visit observations prior to the explosion and in binned pre-explosion data after a supernova is detected. The authors simulated various eruptive precursor models and forecasted detection rates, estimating approximately 40 to 130 detections per year for SN IIP/IIL precursors and around 110 for SN IIn precursors in single-epoch photometry. When considering the first three years of observations, the total detection rate could increase to between 150 and 400 in binned photometry.

The study also addresses the impact of using templates that may be contaminated by residual light from either long-lived or separate precursor emissions, and it explores strategies for estimating baseline flux to mitigate these issues. Spectroscopic follow-up of these eruptions could provide valuable insights into the mechanisms driving mass loss in massive stars at the end of their life cycles.

This research could significantly enhance our understanding of the processes leading to supernova explosions and the role of hydrogen in these dramatic cosmic events. For further details, the full paper can be accessed here.