Whatever happened to the progenitors of supernovae 2008cn, 2009kr and 2009md?

• We present new late-time, high-resolution observations of the sites of supernovae (SNe) 2008cn, 2009kr and 2009md, acquired with the Hubble Space Telescope. In all instances, significant flux from the SNe is still recovered at late times. We show that the previous identification of the progenitor of SN 2008cn was actually a blend of two sources, whose locations are resolved in these new observations. We suggest that the progenitor of SN 2008cn was actually a red supergiant with M-init < 16 M-circle dot. In the late-time observations of SN 20091cr, we find that the pre-explosion source (previously thought to be a yellow supergiant) is most probably a small compact cluster with mass similar to 6000 M-circle dot. In late-time F814W observations of the site of SN 2009md, we find a single point source with identical brightness to the pre-explosion source, suggesting some caution in assuming that the pre-explosion source was the progenitor.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

supernovae: general

supernovae: individual: 2008cn

supernovae: individual: 2009kr

supernovae: individual: 2009md

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