The hydrogen-poor supernova (SN) PTF11rka (z = 0.0744), reported by the Palomar Transient Factory, was observed with various telescopes starting a few days after the estimated explosion time of 2011 December 5 UT and up to 432 rest-frame days thereafter. The rising part of the light curve was monitored only in the RPTF filter band, and maximum in this band was reached ∼30 rest-frame days after the estimated explosion time. The light curve and spectra of PTF11rka are consistent with the core-collapse explosion of a ∼10 M⊙ carbon-oxygen core evolved from a progenitor of main-sequence mass 25-40 M⊙, that liberated a kinetic energy Ek≈4 × 1051 erg, expelled ∼8 M⊙ of ejecta, and synthesized ∼0.5 M⊙ of 56Ni. The photospheric spectra of PTF11rka are characterized by narrow absorption lines that point to suppression of the highest ejecta velocities (∼ 15 000 km s-1). This would be expected if the ejecta impacted a dense, clumpy circumstellar medium. This in turn caused them to lose a fraction of their energy (∼5 × 1050 erg), less than 2 per cent of which was converted into radiation that sustained the light curve before maximum brightness. This is reminiscent of the superluminous SN 2007bi, the light-curve shape and spectra of which are very similar to those of PTF11rka, although the latter is a factor of 10 less luminous and evolves faster in time. PTF11rka is in fact more similar to gamma-ray burst SNe in luminosity, although it has a lower energy and a lower Ek/Mej ratio.

The optical and optical/near-infrared pseudo-bolometric light curves of 85 stripped-envelope supernovae (SNe) are constructed using a consistent method and a standard cosmology. The light curves are analysed to derive temporal characteristics and peak luminosity Lp, enabling the construction of a luminosity function. Subsequently, the mass of 56Ni synthesized in the explosion, along with the ratio of ejecta mass to ejecta kinetic energy, are found. Analysis shows that host-galaxy extinction is an important factor in accurately determining luminosity values as it is significantly greater than Galactic extinction in most cases. It is found that broad-lined SNe Ic (SNe Ic-BL) and gamma-ray burst SNe are the most luminous subtypes with a combined median Lp, in erg s-1, of log(Lp) = 43.00 compared to 42.51 for SNe Ic, 42.50 for SNe Ib, and 42.36 for SNe IIb. It is also found that SNe Ic-BL synthesize approximately twice the amount of 56Ni compared with SNe Ic, Ib, and IIb, with median MNi = 0.34, 0.16, 0.14, and 0.11 M⊙, respectively. SNe Ic-BL, and to a lesser extent SNe Ic, typically rise from Lp/2 to Lp more quickly than SNe Ib/IIb; consequently, their light curves are not as broad.

Early observations of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) provide essential clues for understanding the progenitor system that gave rise to the terminal thermonuclear explosion. We present exquisite observations of SN 2019yvq, the second observed SN Ia, after iPTF 14atg, to display an early flash of emission in the ultraviolet (UV) and optical. Our analysis finds that SN 2019yvq was unusual, even when ignoring the initial flash, in that it was moderately underluminous for an SN Ia (Mg ≈ 18.5 mag at peak) yet featured very high absorption velocities (v ≈ 15,000 km s-1 for Si ii λ6355 at peak). We find that many of the observational features of SN 2019yvq, aside from the flash, can be explained if the explosive yield of radioactive 56Ni is relatively low (we measure M56Ni=0.31±0.05,M⊙) and it and other iron-group elements are concentrated in the innermost layers of the ejecta. To explain both the UV/optical flash and peak properties of SN 2019yvq we consider four different models: interaction between the SN ejecta and a nondegenerate companion, extended clumps of 56Ni in the outer ejecta, a double-detonation explosion, and the violent merger of two white dwarfs. Each of these models has shortcomings when compared to the observations; it is clear additional tuning is required to better match SN 2019yvq. In closing, we predict that the nebular spectra of SN 2019yvq will feature either H or He emission, if the ejecta collided with a companion, strong [Ca ii] emission, if it was a double detonation, or narrow [O i] emission, if it was due to a violent merger.