On the Progenitor and Early Evolution of the Type II Supernova 2009kr

• We identify a source coincident with SN 2009kr in Hubble Space Telescope pre-explosion images. The object appears to be a single point source with an intrinsic color V - I = 1.1 ± 0.25 and MV = -7.6 ± 0.6. If this is a single star, it would be a yellow supergiant of log L/L sun ~ 5.1 and a mass of 15+5 -4 M sun. The spatial resolution does not allow us yet to definitively determine if the progenitor object is a single star, a binary system, or a compact cluster. We show that the early light curve is similar to a Type IIL SN, but the prominent Hα P-Cygni profiles and the signature of the end of a recombination phase are reminiscent of a Type IIP. The evolution of the expanding ejecta will play an important role in understanding the progenitor object.

Nyckelord

galaxies: individual: NGC 1832

stars: evolution

supernovae: general

supernovae: individual: SN 2009kr

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