SN 2023vbg: A Type IIn Supernova Resembling SN 2009ip, with a Long-Duration Precursor and Early-Time Bump
SN 2023vbg: A Type IIn Supernova Resembling SN 2009ip, with a Long-Duration Precursor and Early-Time Bump
Sota Goto, Masayuki Yamanaka, Takahiro Nagayama, Keiichi Maeda, Miho Kawabata, D. K. Sahu, Avinash Singh, Anjasha Gangopadhyay, Naveen Dkuniya, Kuntal Misra, Monalisa Dubey, Bhuvya Ailawadhi
AbstractType IIn supernovae (SNe) resembling SN 2009ip (09ip-like SNe) originate from the interaction between circumstellar material (CSM) and the ejecta. This subclass not only shares similar observational properties around the maximum, but is commonly characterized by a long duration precursor before its maximum. Investigating the observed properties of the precursor provides constraints on the mass-loss history of the progenitor.We present observational data of SN 2023vbg, a 09ip-like type IIn SN that displayed unique observational properties compared to other 09ip-like SNe. SN 2023vbg showed a long-duration precursor at $M_g\sim-14$ mag lasting for $\sim100$ days, followed by a bright bump at $M_g\sim-17$ mag at 12-25 days before the maximum. The luminosity of the precursor is similar to those of other 09ip-like SNe, but the bright bump has not been observed in other cases.After reaching the peak luminosity, the light curve exhibited a peculiar smooth decline.While the H$\alpha$ profile displays two velocity components ($\sim 500$ and $3000\ \mathrm{km\ s^{-1}}$), a broad component observed in other 09ip-like SNe was not detected. We suggest that these properties are explained by the difference in the CSM structure as compared to other 09ip-like SNe; SN 2023vbg had an inner denser CSM component, as well as generally smooth CSM density distribution in a more extended scale, than in the others. Such diversity of CSM likely reflects the diversity of pre-SN outbursts, which in turn may mirror the range of evolutionary pathways in the final stages of the progenitors.