The infrared supernova rate in starburst galaxies

Free access article

Issue		A&A Volume 401, Number 2, April II 2003


Page(s)		519 - 530
Section		Galactic structure and dynamics
DOI		http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20030198

A&A 401, 519-530 (2003)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20030198

The infrared supernova rate in starburst galaxies

F. Mannucci¹, R. Maiolino^{2, 3}, G. Cresci⁴, M. Della Valle², L. Vanzi⁵, F. Ghinassi⁶, V. D. Ivanov⁵, N. M. Nagar² and A. Alonso-Herrero⁷

¹ Istituto di Radioastronomia, sezione di Firenze, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125, Firenze, Italy
e-mail: filippo@arcetri.astro.it
² INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125, Firenze, Italy
³ Dipartimento di Astronomia, Univesità di Roma, via della vasca navale 86, Roma, Italy
⁴ Dipartimento di astronomia, Università di Firenze, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125, Firenze, Italy
⁵ ESO, Ave. Alonso de Cordova 3107, Casilla 19, Santiago 19001, Chile
⁶ Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, Aptdo de Correos 565, 38700 Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Island, Spain
⁷ Steward Observatory, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721, USA

(Received 13 November 2002 / Accepted 13 February 2003 )

Abstract
We report the results of our ongoing search for extincted supernovae (SNe) at near-infrared wavelengths. We have monitored at 2.2 $\mu$ m a sample of 46 Luminous Infrared Galaxies and detected 4 SNe. The number of detections is still small but sufficient to provide the first estimate of supernova rate at near-infrared wavelengths. We measure a SN rate of $\rm SN^{{\rm NIR}}_{\rm r}=7.6\pm 3.8$ SNu which is an order of magnitude larger than observed in quiescent galaxies. On the other hand, the observed near-infrared rate is still a factor 3-10 smaller than that estimated from the far-infrared luminosity of the galaxies. Among various possibilities, the most likely scenario is that dust extinction is so high ( A_V>30) to obscure most SNe even in the near-IR.

The role of type Ia SNe is also discussed within this context. We derive the type Ia SN rate as a function of the stellar mass of the galaxy and find a sharp increase toward galaxies with higher activity of star formation. This suggests that a significant fraction of type Ia SNe are associated with young stellar populations.

Finally, as a by-product, we give the average K-band light curve of core-collapse SNe based on all the existing data, and review the relation between SN rate and far-infrared luminosity.

Key words: supernovae: general -- supernovae: individual: SN 1999gd -- supernovae: individual: SN 2000bg -- infrared: stars

Offprint request: F. Mannucci, filippo@arcetri.astro.it

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