Lecture 9: Supernova Rates

Star-Formation Efficiency, Yield

How many supernovae per year for each galaxy type ?
Use power-law IMF, Salpeter slope -7/3 = -2.33

N(M ) ! M
log N(M)

!
0.1 M

"7/3 20 M .

Limits of validity,
not well known

0.1M .

slope = -7/3 = -2.33

8 M

20 M

Supernova limit

log M

Universal IMF (Kroupa 2002)

N(M ) ! M !

~ - 7/3 M > 1 M"

- 4/3 0.1 - 1 M"
- 1/3 M < 0.1 M

M42 M35 Pleiades local

MW MC
GC local

log( M / M)
log( M / M )

Integrating a Power-Law IMF

Number of stars :
N=

" N(M) dM = A " M B dM =

A
M B +1
B +1

( if B # $1)

Fraction of stars with M > 8 M ( for B = -7/3 )

number of SNe
fN !
=
number of stars

"
"

20
8
20
0.1

M B dM
M B dM

A
Most stars at
B+1 20
!4/3 20
M
M
low-mass end!
0.018 ! 0.063
8
8
B
+1
fN =
=
=
20
20
!4/3
A
B+1
0.018 ! 21.544
M
M
0.1
0.1
B +1
500 stars --> 1 supernova!

f N = 0.2%

SN Mass Fraction
Supernovae are rare, but each is very massive.
What fraction of the mass goes into SNe?
fM

#
=
#
=

20
8
20
0.1

M
M

M ! M "7/3 dM
M ! M "7/3 dM

!1/3 20
8
!1/3 20

0.37-0.50
=
0.37 ! 2.15

0.1

f M = 7.2%

Most of mass is in
low-mass stars.

Typical SN Mass
Median mass:

1
=
2

M SN

#
#

M ! M "7/3 dM

"1/3
M
SN " 0.50
8
=
20
0.37 " 0.50
M ! M "7/3 dM
8

M SN = 12.2 M .

Mean mass:

20
1
"1/3
"7/3
M
M
!
M
dM
#
8
"1/3
8
M =
=
20
"7/3
1
"4/3 20
M
dM
#8
M
8
"4/3
4 ! (20 "1/3 " 8"1/3 )
4 ! (0.37 " 0.50)
=
=
= 12 M .
"4/3
"4/3
20 " 8
0.018 " 0.062
20

SN Rates vs Galaxy Type

Spiral Galaxy: SFR: ~ 8 M yr-1.

!
SN rate:

7.2% have M > 8 M .

(8 M yr-1) x 0.072 ~ 0.6 M yr-1 go into SNe

0.6 M . yr -1
1
~
yr -1
12.2 M .
20

(fewer seen due to dust)

Irregular Galaxy: ~10x this rate during bursts (1 SN per 2 yr)!

No SNe between bursts.

SN Rates: Ellipticals
t* = 1 Gyr
e-folding time
1
t = 10 Gyr
age
= 0.95
efficiency
M0 = 1011 M total mass = initial gas mass!
Gas consumption:

Star formation:
!

gas

M0
1# e#t / t$ )
(
"

S(t) = (1! e!t/t" ) / !

$t / t%
!
10
M
e
(
)
dM S
M
e
.
$3
-1
= 0
"M
=
=
5
&10
M
yr
S
.
9
dt
#
t
(0.95)
(10
yr)
%
!
11

SN rate:

$10

(0.072) (5 "10 -3 M . yr -1)

12.2 M .

-5

# 3 "10 yr

-1

3 SN per 105 yr.

!

t"

1
"

MG (t) = M 0 e"t / t# = M 0 " $ M S (t)

M S (t) =

(t) = e"t / t#

stars
t

t"

Negligible!

What Star Formation Efficiency

and Yields of H, He and Metals ?
X = 0.75
Y = 0.25
Z = 0.00

MG = M0
MS = 0
MG = 0
MS = M0

KABOOM!

KABOOM!

MG = (1-) M0
MS = M0
=?

X=?
Y=?
Z=?

Estimates for efficiency , yield in X, Y, Z

Assume:
1. Type-II SNe enrich the ISM.
(Neglect: Type-I SNe, stellar winds, PNe, ....)
2. Closed Box Model:
(Neglect: Infall from the IGM, outflow to the IGM)
3. SN 1987A is typical Type-II SN.
Better models include these effects.
What do we know about SN 1987A?

SN 1987A
23 Feb 1987 in LMC
Brightest SN since 1604!
First SN detected in neutrinos.
Visible (14 --> 4.2 mag) to naked eye,
in southern sky.
Progenitor star visible:
~20 Msun blue supergiant.
3- ring structure (pre-SN wind)
UV flash reached inner ring in 80 d.
Fastest ejecta reached inner ring in ~6 yr.
Fast ejection velocity v~c/30~11,000 km/s.
Slower (metal-enriched) ejecta asymmetric.

SN 1987A
23 Feb 1987 in LMC
Brightest SN since 1604!

2010

First SN detected in neutrinos.

Visible (14 --> 4.2 mag) to naked eye,
in southern sky.
Progenitor star visible:
~20 Msun blue supergiant.
3- ring structure (pre-SN wind)
Shockwave reaches inner ring 2003.

2003

Star Formation Efficiency

Use SN 1987A to calculate and yield.
SN 1987A: progenitor star mass = 20 M
remnant neutron star mass = 1.6 M
#mass returned to the ISM = 18.4 M
From IMF, 7.2% of MS is in stars with M > 8 M
= Fraction of MS returned to ISM:
mass returned to gas
18.4
!=
= 0.072 !
" 6.6%
mass turned into stars
20

Star Formation Efficiency

= fraction of MS retained in stars:

! = 1! " = 93%

SN 1987A Lightcurve
Powered by radioactive decay of r-process nuclei.
Use to measure metal abundances in ejected gas.
56Ni

=> 56 Co
56Co => 56 Fe

6d half-life
78d half-life

X, Y, Z of ejecta from SN1987A

Initial mass

~ 20 M

NS mass

~ 1.6 M

Mass ejected ~ 18.4 M

in H 9.0 M

He

7.0 M

2.4 M

X=

9
! 0.49
18.4

2.4
Z=
! 0.13
18.4

= 18.4 M
7
Y=
! 0.38
18.4