Supernova 2002ic: The Collapse of a Stripped-Envelope, Massive Star in a Dense Medium?

Abstract

We revisit the case of SN2002ic that recently revived the debate about the progenitors of SNeIa after the claim of the unprecedented presence of hydrogen lines over a diluted SNIa spectrum. As an alternative to the previous interpretation, we suggest that SN2002ic actually was a type Ic SN, the core collapse of a massive star which lost its hydrogen and helium envelope. In this scenario the observed interaction with a dense circumstellar material (CSM) is the predictable consequence of the intense mass-loss of the progenitor and/or of the presence of a gas rich environment. With this view we establish a link between energetic SNeIc and highly interacting SNeIIn and add some credits to the proposed association of some SNeIIn to GRBs.Comment: Accepted for publication on ApJ