Letter to the Editor

SN 2005 gj: evidence for LBV supernovae progenitors?^*

¹ Astronomy Research Centre, Department of Physics & Astronomy, School of Mathematics & Physics, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
² Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh BT61 9DG, Northern Ireland
³ Astrophysics group, Imperial College London, Blackett Laboratory, Prince Consort Rd, London SW7 2BZ, UK

Received: 10 March 2008
Accepted: 15 April 2008

Abstract

There is mounting observational evidence in favour of Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs) being the direct progenitors of supernovae. Here we present possibly the most convincing evidence yet for such progenitors. We find multiple absorption component P-Cygni profiles of hydrogen and helium in the spectrum of SN 2005gj, which we interpret as being an imprint of the progenitor's mass-loss history. Such profiles have previously only been detected in Luminous Blue Variables. This striking resemblance of the profiles, along with wind velocities and periods consistent with those of LBVs leads us to connect SN 2005gj to an LBV progenitor.