Searching for hydrogen in Type Ib supernovae, and for helium and hydrogen in Type Ic supernovae

Abstract

Identifying the progenitors of Type Ib and Type Ic supernovae requires knowing, among other things, whether SNe Ib eject hydrogen, and whether SNe Ic eject helium, and perhaps even hydrogen. Recently it has become clear that some SNe Ib do eject hydrogen, and it may be that all SNe Ib do. Two arguments that have been made in the past that SNe Ic eject helium are difficult to confirm, but I discuss other possible evidence that SNe Ic eject helium, as well as hydrogen. If so, these elements extend to lower ejection velocities than in SNe Ib. The spectroscopic differences between SNe Ib and SNe Ic may depend on the radial distributions of the helium and hydrogen as well as on the ejected masses of helium and hydrogen. We should consider the possibility that SNe Ic are more mixed up.