A Search for Core‐Collapse Supernova Progenitors in Hubble Space Telescope Images

Identifying the massive progenitor stars that give rise to core‐collapse supernovae (SNe) is one of the main pursuits of supernova and stellar evolution studies. Using ground‐based images of recent, nearby SNe obtained primarily with the Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope, astrometry from the Two Micron All Sky Survey, and archival images from the Hubble Space Telescope, we have attempted the direct identification of the progenitors of 16 Type II and Type Ib/c SNe. We may have identified the progenitors of the Type II SNe 1999br in NGC 4900, 1999ev in NGC 4274, and 2001du in NGC 1365 as supergiant stars with M0V ≈ -6 mag in all three cases. We may have also identified the progenitors of the Type Ib SNe 2001B in IC 391 and 2001is in NGC 1961 as very luminous supergiants with M0V ≈ -8 to −9 mag, and possibly the progenitor of the Type Ic SN 1999bu in NGC 3786 as a supergiant with M0V ≈ -7.5 mag. Additionally, we have recovered at late times SNe 1999dn in NGC 7714, 2000C in NGC 2415, and 2000ew in NGC 3810, although none of these had detectable progenitors on pre‐supernova images. In fact, for the remaining SNe only limits can be placed on the absolute magnitude and color (when available) of the progenitor. The detected Type II progenitors and limits are consistent with red supergiants as progenitor stars, although possibly not as red as we had expected. Our results for the Type Ib/c SNe do not strongly constrain either Wolf‐Rayet stars or massive interacting binary systems as progenitors.