Jet-shaped geometrically modified light curves of core-collapse supernovae

Abstract

ABSTRACT We build three simple bipolar ejecta models for core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe), as expected when the explosion is driven by strong jets, and show that for an observer located in the equatorial plane of the ejecta, the light curve has a rapid luminosity decline, and even an abrupt drop. In calculating the geometrically modified photosphere we assume that the ejecta has an axisymmetrical structure composed of an equatorial ejecta and faster polar ejecta, and has a uniform effective temperature. At early times the photosphere in the polar ejecta grows faster than the equatorial one, leading to higher luminosity relative to a spherical explosion. The origin of the extra radiated energy is the jets. At later times the optical depth decreases faster in the polar ejecta, and the polar photosphere becomes hidden behind the equatorial ejecta for an observer in the equatorial plane, leading to a rapid luminosity decline. For a model where the jets inflate two low-density polar bubbles, the luminosity decline might be abrupt. This model enables us to fit the abrupt decline in the light curve of SN 2018don.