The peculiar case of the "double-humped" super-luminous supernova SN 2006oz

Abstract

SN 2006oz is a super-luminous supernova with a mysterious bright precursor that has resisted explanation in standard models. However, such a precursor has been predicted in the dual-shock quark nova model of super-luminous supernovae - the precursor is the supernova event while the main light curve of the super-luminous supernova is powered by the Quark-Nova (explosive transition of the neutron star to a quark star). As the supernova is fading, the Quark-Nova re-energizes the supernova ejecta, producing a "double-humped" light curve. We show that the quark nova model successfully reproduces the observed light curve of SN 2006oz. © 2013 National Astronomical Observatories of Chinese Academy of Sciences and IOP Publishing Ltd.