Luminosity distribution of Type II supernova progenitors

Abstract

I present progenitor luminosities ($L$) for a sample of 112 Type II supernovae (SNe II), computed directly from progenitor photometry and the bolometric correction technique, or indirectly from empirical correlations between progenitor luminosity and [OI] $\lambda\lambda$6300, 6364 line luminosity at 350 d since explosion, $^{56}$Ni mass, or absolute $V$-band magnitude at 50 d since explosion. To calibrate these correlations, I use twelve SNe II with progenitor luminosities measured from progenitor photometry. I find that the correlations mentioned above are strong and statistically significant, and allow to estimate progenitor luminosities to a precision between 20 and 24 per cent. I correct the SN sample for selection bias and define a subsample of 112 SNe II with progenitor luminosities between $\log(L/L_{\odot})=4.6$ dex, corresponding to the completeness limit of the corrected sample, and the maximum observed progenitor luminosity of $\log(L/L_{\odot})=5.091$ dex. The luminosity distribution for this subsample is statistically consistent with those for red supergiants (RSGs) in LMC, SMC, M31, and M33 with $4.6\leq\log(L/L_{\odot})\leq5.091$. This supports that SN II progenitors correspond to RSGs. The conspicuous absence of SN II progenitors with $\log(L/L_{\odot})>5.1$ dex with respect to what is observed in RSG luminosity distributions, known as the RSG problem, is significant at a $5.2\pm0.5\,\sigma$ level.