Paper detail

The massive binary companion star to the progenitor of supernova 1993J

The massive star which underwent core-collapse to produce SN1993J was identified as a non-variable red supergiant star in images of the galaxy M81 taken before explosion. However the stellar source showed an excess in UV and B-band colours that suggested it had either a hot, massive companion star or was embedded in an unresolved young stellar association. The spectra of SN1993J underwent a remarkable transformation between a hydrogen-rich Type II supernova and a helium-rich (hydrogen-deficient) Type Ib. The spectral and photometric peculiarities were explained by models in which the 13-20 solar mass supergiant had lost almost its entire hydrogen envelope to a close binary companion. The binary scenario is currently the best fitting model for the production of such type IIb supernovae, however the hypothetical massive companion stars have so far eluded discovery. Here we report the results of new photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN1993J, 10 years after explosion. At the position of the fading SN we detect the unambiguous signature of a massive star, the binary companion to the progenitor. This is evidence that this type of SN originate in interacting binary systems.