Modeling Supernova 2023ixf: Lightcurve Degeneracies and Morphological Differences

Abstract Supernova 2023ixf, a type II-P supernova in the spiral galaxy M101, which was first observed in 2023 May, is the closest yet observed this decade. Combining the observed brightness and duration with theoretical scaling relations, we model its lightcurve to reveal the properties of the progenitor at the time of explosion, including its mass, radius, and explosion energy. We simulate these explosions using the stellar evolution/radiation-hydrodynamics codes MESA+STELLA. We find that SN 2023ixf is not easily explained with “normal” stellar evolution, and only models with a small H-rich ejecta mass can fit the lightcurve. We also find that the late-time properties of the lightcurve are better fit by a higher initial-mass ( M ≳ 20 M ⊙ ) star with substantial mass loss during its lifetime, compared to models with lower initial mass ( M ≲ 13 M ⊙ ) and less mass loss.