On the early-time excess emission in hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae

Understand

We present the light curves of the hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae (SLSNe-I) PTF12dam and iPTF13dcc, discovered by the (intermediate) Palomar Transient Factory.

• Both show excess emission at early times and a slowly declining light curve at late times.
• The early bump in PTF12dam is very similar in duration (~10 days) and brightness relative to the main peak (2-3 mag fainter) compared to those observed in other SLSNe-I.
• In contrast, the long-duration (>30 days) early excess emission in iPTF13dcc, whose brightness competes with that of the main peak, appears to be of a different nature.