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Dense Circumstellar Medium around Pulsating Massive Stars Powering Interacting Supernovae

Sutirtha Sengupta, Das Sujit, Arkaprabha Sarangi

TL;DR

The paper addresses how pulsation-driven mass loss from red supergiant progenitors shapes the dense circumstellar medium (CSM) encountered by interacting Type II SNe. It uses time-dependent mass-loss prescriptions for pulsation-driven superwinds (PDSW) and shock-driven dynamical ejections within MESA models of $12-20~M_\odot$ to build pre-SN CSM density profiles and compute line-of-sight hydrogen columns under a $\beta$-law wind. It shows that episodic mass-loss rates of $\dot M \sim 10^{-4}-10^{-2}~M_\odot\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ can form CSM with densities $>10^{-15}$ g cm$^{-3}$ at $r<10^{15}$ cm, consistent with observations of SNe such as SN 2023ixf and SN 2020ywx, and the derived CSM structures reproduce features seen in other well-studied events. This framework links late-stage RSG pulsations to pre-SN CSM properties and early-time SN signatures (flash ionization, X-ray, and radio), providing a physically motivated path to interpret CSM interaction across Type II SNe.

Abstract

We investigate the evolution of red supergiant (RSG) progenitors of core-collapse (CC) supernovae (SNe) with initial masses between $12-20~M_\odot$ focusing on the effects of enhanced mass loss due to pulsation-driven instabilities in their envelopes and subsequent dynamical ejections during advanced stages of nuclear burning. Using time-dependent mass loss from detailed MESA stellar evolution models, including a parameterized prescription for pulsation-driven superwinds and time-averaged mass loss rates attributed to resulting shock-induced ejections, we construct the circumstellar medium (CSM) before the SN explosion. We calculate resulting CSM density profiles and column densities considering the acceleration of the stellar wind. Our models produce episodes of enhanced mass loss $10^{-4}-10^{-2}~M_\odot~\rm{yr}^{-1}$ in the last centuries-decades before explosion forming dense CSM ($>10^{-15}~\rm{gcm}^{-3}$ at distances $<10^{15}$ cm) -- consistent with those inferred from multi-wavelength observations of Type II SNe such as SN~2023ixf and SN~2020ywx.

Dense Circumstellar Medium around Pulsating Massive Stars Powering Interacting Supernovae

TL;DR

The paper addresses how pulsation-driven mass loss from red supergiant progenitors shapes the dense circumstellar medium (CSM) encountered by interacting Type II SNe. It uses time-dependent mass-loss prescriptions for pulsation-driven superwinds (PDSW) and shock-driven dynamical ejections within MESA models of to build pre-SN CSM density profiles and compute line-of-sight hydrogen columns under a -law wind. It shows that episodic mass-loss rates of can form CSM with densities g cm at cm, consistent with observations of SNe such as SN 2023ixf and SN 2020ywx, and the derived CSM structures reproduce features seen in other well-studied events. This framework links late-stage RSG pulsations to pre-SN CSM properties and early-time SN signatures (flash ionization, X-ray, and radio), providing a physically motivated path to interpret CSM interaction across Type II SNe.

Abstract

We investigate the evolution of red supergiant (RSG) progenitors of core-collapse (CC) supernovae (SNe) with initial masses between focusing on the effects of enhanced mass loss due to pulsation-driven instabilities in their envelopes and subsequent dynamical ejections during advanced stages of nuclear burning. Using time-dependent mass loss from detailed MESA stellar evolution models, including a parameterized prescription for pulsation-driven superwinds and time-averaged mass loss rates attributed to resulting shock-induced ejections, we construct the circumstellar medium (CSM) before the SN explosion. We calculate resulting CSM density profiles and column densities considering the acceleration of the stellar wind. Our models produce episodes of enhanced mass loss in the last centuries-decades before explosion forming dense CSM ( at distances cm) -- consistent with those inferred from multi-wavelength observations of Type II SNe such as SN~2023ixf and SN~2020ywx.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 5 sections, 2 equations, 2 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Pulsation-driven mass loss from RSGs
  3. Pulsation-driven super-winds (PDSW)
  4. Shock-driven dynamical ejections
  5. Comparison with multiepoch observations of Type II SNe

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: (left) CSM density profiles for the model sequence with $M_{init}=18~\rm{M}_\odot,~\alpha=2.82$ (solid red curve), compared with inferred densities from multi-wavelength observations 2023ApJ...954L..42J2024Natur.627..759Z2025ApJ...985...51A and (right) the column density of neutral hydrogen (solid red) compared to X-ray measurements (in solid blue) for SN 2023ixf 2025ApJ...985...51A.
  • Figure 2: (left) CSM density profiles for the two MESA model sequences for $M_{init}=17~\rm{M}_\odot$, with $\alpha=3.61$ sequence given by the solid red curve and the $\alpha=3.64$ sequence given by the dashed brown curve, compared with estimates from measured X-ray luminosities and (right) the column density of neutral hydrogen calculated for the same model sequences, compared to the measured X-ray column densities (blue points) from observations Baer-Way_2025.