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Comparison with hydrogen-free PPI models
a–c, The inferred properties of SN 2017egm are shown against four hydrogen-free PPI models of W07⁴² (orange squares), W17⁴³ (blue stars), M19⁴⁵ (purple triangles) and R20⁴⁶ (green circles), in the diagrams of PPI-driven mass loss versus pre-pulsation helium-core mass (a), delay time between the PPI onset and core-collapse explosion versus pre-pulsation helium-core mass (b) and delay time versus PPI-driven mass loss (c). The narrow grey shading shows the total mass range (within 1σ uncertainty) of four CSM shells inferred from light-curve modelling of SN 2017egm. Assuming velocities of vw = 500 km s⁻¹, vw = 1,000 km s⁻¹ and vw = 3,000 km s⁻¹, the inferred delay times between core collapse and the eruption related to the outermost shell (Tw) are shown with grey dashed lines. The yellow lines represent the steady mass ejections with mass-loss rates of Ṁ\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\dot{M}$$\end{document} = 10⁻³ M⊙ yr⁻¹, 0.1 M⊙ yr⁻¹ and 10 M⊙ yr⁻¹.

Comparison with hydrogen-free PPI models a–c, The inferred properties of SN 2017egm are shown against four hydrogen-free PPI models of W07⁴² (orange squares), W17⁴³ (blue stars), M19⁴⁵ (purple triangles) and R20⁴⁶ (green circles), in the diagrams of PPI-driven mass loss versus pre-pulsation helium-core mass (a), delay time between the PPI onset and core-collapse explosion versus pre-pulsation helium-core mass (b) and delay time versus PPI-driven mass loss (c). The narrow grey shading shows the total mass range (within 1σ uncertainty) of four CSM shells inferred from light-curve modelling of SN 2017egm. Assuming velocities of vw = 500 km s⁻¹, vw = 1,000 km s⁻¹ and vw = 3,000 km s⁻¹, the inferred delay times between core collapse and the eruption related to the outermost shell (Tw) are shown with grey dashed lines. The yellow lines represent the steady mass ejections with mass-loss rates of Ṁ\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\dot{M}$$\end{document} = 10⁻³ M⊙ yr⁻¹, 0.1 M⊙ yr⁻¹ and 10 M⊙ yr⁻¹.

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Superluminous supernovae are among the most energetic stellar explosions in the Universe, but their energy sources remain an open question. Here we present long-term observations of one of the closest examples of the hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae subclass SLSNe-I, supernova SN 2017egm, revealing the most complicated known luminosity evolut...

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