RT journal article
T1 Luminous Red Novae: Stellar Mergers or Giant Eruptions?
A1 Pastorello, A.
A1 Mason, E.
A1 Taubenberger, S.
A1 Fraser, M.
A1 Cortini, G.
A1 Tomasella, L.
A1 Botticella, M.T.
A1 Elias-Rosa, N.
A1 Kotak, R.
A1 Smartt, S.J.
A1 Benetti, S.
A1 Cappellaro, E.
A1 Turatto, M.
A1 Tartaglia, L.
A1 Djorgovski, S.G.
A1 Drake, A.J.
A1 Berton, M.
A1 Briganti, F.
A1 Brimacombe, J.
A1 Bufano, F.
A1 Cai, Y.-Z.
A1 Chen, S.
A1 Christensen, E.J.
A1 Ciabattari, F.
A1 Congiu, E.
A1 Dimai, A.
A1 Inserra, C.
A1 Kankare, E.
A1 Magill, L.
A1 Maguire, K.
A1 Martinelli, F.
A1 Morales Garoffolo, Antonia Isabel
A1 Ochner, P.
A1 Pignata, G.
A1 Reguitti, A.
A1 Sollerman, J.
A1 Spiro, S.
A1 Terreran, G.
A1 Wright, D.E.
A2 Física Aplicada
K1 binaries
K1 close
K1 stars
K1 winds
K1 outflows
K1 supernovae
K1 massive
AB We present extensive datasets for a class of intermediate-luminosity optical transients known as luminous red novae. They show double-peaked light curves, with an initial rapid luminosity rise to a blue peak (at -13 to -15 mag), which is followed by a longer-duration red peak that sometimes is attenuated, resembling a plateau. The progenitors of three of them (NGC 4490-2011OT1, M 101-2015OT1, and SNhunt248), likely relatively massive blue to yellow stars, were also observed in a pre-eruptive stage when their luminosity was slowly increasing. Early spectra obtained during the first peak show a blue continuum with superposed prominent narrow Balmer lines, with P Cygni profiles. Lines of Fe II are also clearly observed, mostly in emission. During the second peak, the spectral continuum becomes much redder, H alpha is barely detected, and a forest of narrow metal lines is observed in absorption. Very late-time spectra (similar to 6 months after blue peak) show an extremely red spectral continuum, peaking in the infrared (IR) domain. H alpha is detected in pure emission at such late phases, along with broad absorption bands due to molecular overtones (such as TiO, VO). We discuss a few alternative scenarios for luminous red novae. Although major instabilities of single massive stars cannot be definitely ruled out, we favour a common envelope ejection in a close binary system, with possibly a final coalescence of the two stars. The similarity between luminous red novae and the outburst observed a few months before the explosion of the Type IIn SN 2011ht is also discussed.
PB EDP SCIENCES S A,
SN 1432-0746
YR 2019
FD 2019-09
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/21782
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/21782
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 22-sep-2026