Abstract
We revise the theoretical initial mass-final luminosity relation for
progenitors of type IIP and IIL supernovae. The effects of the major
uncertainties, as those due to the treatment of convection, semiconvection,
rotation, mass loss, nuclear reaction rates and neutrinos production rates are
discussed in some details. The effects of mass transfer between components of
close-binary systems are also considered. By comparing the theoretical
predictions to a sample of type II supernovae for which the initial mass of the
progenitors and the pre-explosive luminosity are available, we conclude that
stellar rotation may explain a few progenitors which appear brighter than
expected in case of non-rotating models. In the most extreme case, SN2012ec, an
initial rotational velocity up to 300 km s$^-1$ is required. Alternatively,
these objects could be mass-loosing components of close binaries. However, most
of the observed progenitors appear fainter than expected. This occurrence seems
to indicate that the Compton and pair neutrino energy-loss rates, as predicted
by the standard electro-weak theory, are not efficient enough and that an
additional negative contribution to the stellar energy balance is required. We
show that axions coupled with parameters accessible to currently planned
experiments, such as IAXO and, possibly, Baby-IAXO and ALPS II, may account for
the missing contribution to the stellar energy-loss.
Description
The initial mass-final luminosity relation of type II supernova progenitors. Hints of new physics?
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