2012MNRAS.423.1652O

The extremely luminous supernova 2006gy (SN 2006gy) is among the most energetic ever observed. The peak brightness was 100 times that of a typical supernova and it spent an unheard of 250 d at magnitude -19 or brighter. Efforts to describe SN 2006gy have pushed the boundaries of current supernova theory.

In this work we aspire to simultaneously reproduce the photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2006gy using a quark nova (QN) model.

This analysis considers the supernova explosion of a massive star followed days later by the QN detonation of a neutron star. We lay out a detailed model of the interaction between the supernova envelope and the QN ejecta paying special attention to a mixing region which forms at the inner edge of the supernova envelope. This model is then fitted to photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2006gy.

This QN model naturally describes several features of SN 2006gy including the late-stage light-curve plateau, the broad Hα line and the peculiar blue Hα absorption. We find that a progenitor mass between 20 and 40 M_☉ provides ample energy to power SN 2006gy in the context of a QN.