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Science 27 May 2005:
Vol. 308. no. 5726, pp. 1284 - 1287
DOI: 10.1126/science.1111384
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Reports

An Asymmetric Energetic Type Ic Supernova Viewed Off-Axis, and a Link to Gamma Ray Bursts

Paolo A. Mazzali,1,2,3,4* Koji S. Kawabata,5 Keiichi Maeda,6 Ken'ichi Nomoto,1,2* Alexei V. Filippenko,7 Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz,8 Stefano Benetti,9 Elena Pian,4 Jinsong Deng,10,1,2 Nozomu Tominaga,1 Youichi Ohyama,11,12 Masanori Iye,1,13,14 Ryan J. Foley,7 Thomas Matheson,15 Lifan Wang,16 Avishay Gal-Yam17

Type Ic supernovae, the explosions after the core collapse of massive stars that have previously lost their hydrogen and helium envelopes, are particularly interesting because of their link with long-duration gamma ray bursts. Although indications exist that these explosions are aspherical, direct evidence has been missing. Late-time observations of supernova SN 2003jd, a luminous type Ic supernova, provide such evidence. Recent Subaru and Keck spectra reveal double-peaked profiles in the nebular lines of neutral oxygen and magnesium. These profiles are different from those of known type Ic supernovae, with or without a gamma ray burst, and they can be understood if SN 2003jd was an aspherical axisymmetric explosion viewed from near the equatorial plane. If SN 2003jd was associated with a gamma ray burst, we missed the burst because it was pointing away from us.

1 Department of Astronomy, School of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
2 Research Center for the Early Universe, School of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
3 Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild Strasse 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany.
4 Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)-Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Via Tiepolo 11, I-34131 Trieste, Italy.
5 Hiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan.
6 Department of Earth Science and Astronomy, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Komaba 3-8-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
7 Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411, USA.
8 Institute for Advanced Study, Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA.
9 INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, vicolo del'Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy.
10 National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100012, China.
11 Department of Infrared Astrophysics, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan.
12 Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), 650 North A'ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720, USA.
13 Optical and Infrared Astronomy Division, National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan.
14 Department of Astronomical Science, School of Physical Sciences, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan.
15 National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719-4933, USA.
16 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 50-232, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
17 Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mazzali{at}ts.astro.it (P.A.M.); nomoto{at}astron.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp (K.N.)

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
The Metamorphosis of Supernova SN 2008D/XRF 080109: A Link Between Supernovae and GRBs/Hypernovae.
P. A. Mazzali, S. Valenti, M. Della Valle, G. Chincarini, D. N. Sauer, S. Benetti, E. Pian, T. Piran, V. D'Elia, N. Elias-Rosa, et al. (2008)
Science 321, 1185-1188
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Asphericity in Supernova Explosions from Late-Time Spectroscopy.
K. Maeda, K. Kawabata, P. A. Mazzali, M. Tanaka, S. Valenti, K. Nomoto, T. Hattori, J. Deng, E. Pian, S. Taubenberger, et al. (2008)
Science 319, 1220-1223
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


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