On the correlation between supernova occurrence and nuclear activity in elliptical galaxies

Abstract

It is shown that there is a correlation between the occurrence of supernovae and nuclear activity in elliptical galaxies. Both shun a canonical elliptical, and occur only in those ellipticals which accrete gas. It is also shown that the hypothesis that all SNI come from short lived stars is consistent with the color observations of elliptical galaxies. It is proposed that there is a class of intrisically rounder, massive, dusty, metal-rich ellipticals which produce supernovae and are more likely to contain a radio source.