WARNING: this page is provisonal, and for the
time being contains only some information about the current status. Check it
from time to time. I will be updating this site very soon.
You will find here data, pubblications and
links on SN1998bw.
SN1998bw was discovered by Galama et al. in the
BeppoSAX WFC error box of GRB 980425, by comparing two frames taken at
the ESO-NTT telescope on Apr. 28.4 and May 1.3 UT, close to a spiral arm
of the barred galaxy ESO 184-G82. Extensive spectroscopic and photometric
observations, both in the optical and in the near IR, started at ESO-La
Silla soon after the discovery, showing that this object was dramatically
different from all known SNe. A few days after its detection, the object
was classified as a SN of type Ib and later as a peculiar Ic, due to a
complete absence of H lines, no clear HeI detection and the weakness of
the SiII 6355A, which is the characterizing feature of type Ia. The peculiar
spectroscopic behavior and the possible association with GRB 980425 made
this SN extremely interesting for the understanding of both SNe and Gamma
Ray Bursts and therefore triggered an intense follow-up in several observatories.
At ESO this was achieved by electing this SN a target of opportunity, which
allowed us to use most of the La Silla facilities (ESO-Dutch 0.9m, ESO-1.5+B&C,
ESO-Danish 1.54+DFOSC, ESO-MPI 2.2m+IRAC2, ESO-3.6m+EFOSC2 and ESO-NTT+EMMI&SOFI).