The molecular chemistry of Type Ibc supernovae, and diagnostic potential with the James Webb Space Telescope

Abstract

We aim to investigate how the molecular chemistry in stripped-envelope supernovae (SESNe) affect physical conditions and optical spectra, and produce ro-vibrational emission in the mid-infrared (MIR). We also aim to assess the diagnostic potential of observations of such MIR emission with JWST. We coupled a chemical kinetic network including carbon, oxygen, silicon, and sulfur-bearing molecules into the nonlocal thermal equilibrium (NLTE) spectral synthesis code SUMO. We let four species - CO, SiO, SiS, and SO - participate in NLTE cooling of the gas to achieve self-consistency between the molecule formation and the temperature. We applied the new framework to model the spectrum of a Type Ic SN in the 100-600d time range. Molecules are predicted to form in SESN ejecta in significant quantities (typical mass $10^{-3}$ $M_\odot$) throughout the 100-600d interval. The impact on the temperature and optical emission depends on the density of the oxygen zones and varies with epoch. For example, the [O I] 6300, 6364 feature can be quenched by molecules from 200 to 450d depending on density. The MIR predictions show strong emission in the fundamental bands of CO, SiO, and SiS, and in the CO and SiO overtones. Type Ibc SN ejecta have a rich chemistry and considering the effect of molecules is important for modeling the temperature and atomic emission in the nebular phase. Observations of SESNe with JWST hold promise to provide the first detections of SiS and SO, and to give information on zone masses and densities of the ejecta. Combined optical, near-infrared, and MIR observations can break degeneracies and achieve a more complete picture of the nucleosynthesis, chemistry, and origin of Type Ibc SNe.