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Unique Supernova Revealed by CIERA Postdoc Giacomo Terreran

In a new study published in Nature Astronomy, CIERA postdoctoral associate Giacomo Terreran discusses a highly unusual supernova. The object, called OGLE14-073, is more luminous, richer in hydrogen, slower to evolve, 10 times more energetic, and ejected more material than typical objects in its class.

Interviewed by Marco Galliani for Media INAF, Terreran explains, “OGLE14-073 is a unique object and we are still investigating possible exploding scenarios. When it was classified, OGLE14-073 appeared just like a boring type II supernova as hundreds are identified each year. However, it soon revealed its extraordinary character. In the future, with the advent of the next generation of telescopes, many more objects similar to OGLE14-073 will be likely discovered. We hope to be able to find them soon after explosion, with more targeted follow-up campaigns, with the aim to be able to understand what is the mechanism responsible to make explode such massive stars with such a high energy.”

Read Hydrogen-rich supernovae beyond the neutrino-driven core-collapse paradigm, in Nature Astronomy.