UBVRI CCD PHOTOMETRY OF THE TYPE Ic SUPERNOVA SN 1994I IN M51: THE FIRST TWO MONTHS

We present UBVRI CCD photometry of the Type Ie supernova SN 19941 in M51 which was discovered on April 2, 1994 (UT). UBVRI CCD photometry of SN 1994 I were obtained for the period of the first two months from April 4, 1994, using the Seoul National University Observatory 60 cm telescope. The light curves of SN 19941 show several interesting features: (a) SN 19941 reaches the maximum brightness at B-band on April 8.23 (B = 13.68 mag), at V-band on April 9.10 (V = 12.89 mag), and at I-band on April 10.32 (I = 12.48 mag); (b) The light curves around the maximum brightness are much narrower than those of other types of supernovae; (c) The light curves after the peak decline more steeply than those of other types of supernovae; and (d) The colors get redder from $(V-R){\approx}0.2 mag ((V - I){\approx} 0.3 mag, (B - V){\approx}0.7 mag)$ on April 4 to $(V-R){\approx}0.6 mag ((V-1){\approx}0.9 mag, (B-V){\approx}1.3 mag)$ on April 18. Afterwards (V - R) colors get bluer slightly $(by\~0.005 mag/day)$, while (V-I) colors stay almost constant around $(V-1){\approx}1.0 mag$. The color at the maximum brightness is (B-V)=0.9 mag, which is $\~1$mag redder than the mean color of typical Type la supernovae at the maximum brightness. The light curves of SN 1994I are similar to those of the Type Ie supernova SN 1962L in NGC 1073. Adopting the distance modulus of $(m-M)_0 = 29.2 mag$ and the reddening of E(B - V) = 0.45 mag [Iwamoto et al. 1994, preprint for ApJ], we derive absolute magnitudes at the maximum brightness of SN 1994I, Mv(max) = -17.7 mag and MB(max) = -17.4 mag. This result shows that SN 1994I was $\~2$mag fainter at the maximum brightness compared with typical Type Ia supernovae. A narrower peak and faster decline after the maximum in the light curve of SN 1994I compared with other types of supernovae indicate that the progenitor of SN 1994I might be a lower mass star compared with those of other types of supernovae.