SN 2018hna: Adding a piece to the puzzles of the explosion of blue supergiants

ABSTRACT We present extensive optical/ultraviolet observations and modelling analysis for the nearby SN 1987A-like peculiar Type II supernova (SN) 2018hna. Both photometry and spectroscopy covered phases extending to >500 d after the explosion, making it one of the best-observed SN II of this subtype. SN 2018hna is obviously bluer than SN 1987A during the photospheric phase, suggesting higher photospheric temperature, which may account for weaker Ba ii λ6142 lines in its spectra. Analysis of early-time temperature evolution suggests a radius of ∼45 R⊙ for the progenitor of SN 2018hna, consistent with a blue supergiant (BSG). By fitting the bolometric light curve with hydrodynamical models, we find that SN 2018hna has an ejecta mass of ∼(13.7–17.7) M⊙, a kinetic energy of ∼(1.0–1.2) × 1051 erg, and a 56Ni mass of about 0.05 M⊙. Moreover, based on standard stellar evolution and the oxygen mass (0.44–0.73 M⊙) deduced from nebular [O i] lines, the progenitor of SN 2018hna is expected to have an initial main-sequence mass <16 M⊙. In principle, such a relatively low-mass star cannot end as a BSG just before core-collapse, except some unique mechanisms are involved, such as rapid rotation, restricted semiconvection, etc. On the other hand, binary scenario may be more favourable, like in the case of SN 1987A. While the much lower oxygen mass inferred for SN 2018hna may imply that its progenitor system also had much lower initial masses than that of SN 1987A.