Estimation of 56Ni Needed in the Explosion Process of the Super Luminous Supernova ASASSN-15lh

Abstract ASASSN-15lh is a super luminous supernova, whose light curve is similar to that of the type Ia supernova (SN Ia). Since the luminosity of SN Ia is directly related to the decay of 56 Ni, in this paper, we consider the de-excitation energy of the new nuclei, and calculate the energy generated by the decay of 56 Ni in the explosive environment of ASASSN-15lh. The calculated mass of 56 Ni needed by the ASASSN-15lh explosion is 31 . 32 M ⊙ . This result agrees with the estimation of the mass of 56 Ni ≥ 30 M ⊙ derived from the observed light curve of ASASSN-15lh. No agreement has reached for the explosion mechanism of supernova ASASSN-15lh so far. The calculation in this paper provides a reference for the further study on the progenitor and explosion mechanism of the supernova ASASSN-15lh.