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arXiv · 0809.0206

VLT detection of a red supergiant progenitor of the type IIP supernova 2008bk

S. Mattila·S. J. Smartt·J. J. Eldridge·J. R. Maund·R. M. Crockett·I. J. Danziger
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Abstract

We report the identification of a source coincident with the position of the nearby type II-P supernova (SN) 2008bk in high quality optical and near-infrared pre-explosion images from the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT). The SN position in the optical and near-infrared pre-explosion images is identified to within about +-70 and +-40 mas, respectively, using post-explosion Ks-band images obtained with the NAOS CONICA adaptive optics system on the VLT. The pre-explosion source detected in four different bands is precisely coincident with SN 2008bk and is consistent with being dominated by a single point source. We determine the nature of the point source using the STARS stellar evolutionary models and find that its colours and luminosity are consistent with the source being a red supergiant progenitor of SN 2008bk with an initial mass of 8.5 +- 1.0 Msun.

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S. Mattila, S. J. Smartt, J. J. Eldridge, J. R. Maund, R. M. Crockett, I. J. Danziger. 2008-10-08. VLT detection of a red supergiant progenitor of the type IIP supernova 2008bk. https://doi.org/10.1086/595587

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