Correlational study between model variables and observable quantities of magnetar-powered H-rich supernovae

Abstract

Up to date, it has not been possible to identify the presence of a magnetar in a supernova (SN) explosion. We know only pieces of a challenging scenario that poses ahead extremely important questions. If a magnetar with a sufficiently high rotation speed is actually present in a given SN, it would contribute as an additional energy source. That power source may overcome the energy released by otherwise usual mechanisms, so a magnetar could give birth to a superluminous SN. A grid of hydrodynamic models (with a simple treatment for radiative processes) has been recently computed for a hydrogen-rich progenitor of M_ZAMS = 15 M_o. The corresponding light curves (LCs) show indirect evidence of the properties of the magnetar. By means of a simple correlational analysis, we investigate the existence of a correspondence between the variables used to define the models (initial rotation energy and spin-down timescale) and the observable quantities derived from the LCs. This type of analyisis might help to define search strategies to obtain evidence of the magnetar engine working into SNe, with good photometric data. Herein we present some preliminary results.