2009MNRAS.394.2266P

We present the results of the one-year long observational campaign of the type II plateau SN 2005cs, which exploded in the nearby spiral galaxy M51 (the Whirlpool galaxy). This extensive data set makes SN 2005cs the best observed low-luminosity, ⁵⁶Ni-poor type II plateau event so far and one of the best core-collapse supernovae ever. The optical and near-infrared spectra show narrow P-Cygni lines characteristic of this SN family, which are indicative of a very low expansion velocity (about 1000km/s) of the ejected material. The optical light curves cover both the plateau phase and the late-time radioactive tail, until about 380 d after core-collapse. Numerous unfiltered observations obtained by amateur astronomers give us the rare opportunity to monitor the fast rise to maximum light, lasting about 2 d. In addition to optical observations, we also present near-infrared light curves that (together with already published ultraviolet observations) allow us to construct for the first time a reliable bolometric light curve for an object of this class. Finally, comparing the observed data with those derived from a semi-analytic model, we infer for SN 2005cs a ⁵⁶Ni mass of about 3x10^–3M_☉, a total ejected mass of 8-13M_☉ and an explosion energy of about 3x10⁵⁰erg.