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We present photometry and spectroscopy of the type IIP supernova 2009bw in UGC 2890 from few days after the outburst to 241 days. The light curve of SN 2009bw during the photospheric phase is similar to that of normal SNe IIP but with brighter peak and plateau (Mmax R = -17.82 mag, Mplateau R = -17.37 mag). The luminosity drop from the photospheric to the nebular phase is one of the fastest ever observed, ~2.2 mag in about 13 days. The radioactive tail of the bolometric light curve indicates that the amount of ejected 56 Ni is \approx 0.022 M\odot. The photospheric spectra reveal high velocity lines of H{\alpha} and H{\beta} until about 105 days after the shock breakout, suggesting a possible early interaction between the SN ejecta and pre-existent circumstellar material, and the presence of CNO elements. By modeling the bolometric light curve, ejecta expansion velocity and photospheric temperature, we estimate a total ejected mass of 8-12M\odot, a kinetic energy of ~0.3 foe and an initial radius of ~ 3.6 - 7 \times 10^13 cm., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 19 pages, 13 figures, 9 tables

We present ground-based and HST optical observations of the optical transients (OTs) of long-duration Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) 060729 and 090618, both at a redshift of z = 0.54. For GRB 060729, bumps are seen in the optical light curves (LCs), and the late-time broadband spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the OT resemble those of local type Ic supernovae (SNe). For GRB 090618, the dense sampling of our optical observations has allowed us to detect well-defined bumps in the optical LCs, as well as a change in colour, that are indicative of light coming from a core-collapse SN. The accompanying SNe for both events are individually compared with SN1998bw, a known GRB-supernova, and SN1994I, a typical type Ic supernova without a known GRB counterpart, and in both cases the brightness and temporal evolution more closely resemble SN1998bw. We also exploit our extensive optical and radio data for GRB 090618, as well as the publicly-available SWIFT -XRT data, and discuss the properties of the afterglow at early times. In the context of a simple jet-like model, the afterglow of GRB 090618 is best explained by the presence of a jet-break at t-to > 0.5 days. We then compare the rest-frame, peak V -band absolute magnitudes of all of the GRB and X-Ray Flash (XRF)-associated SNe with a large sample of local type Ibc SNe, concluding that, when host extinction is considered, the peak magnitudes of the GRB/XRF-SNe cannot be distinguished from the peak magnitudes of non-GRB/XRF SNe., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS on Dec 07, 2010. 18 pages, 12 figures, 9 tables

This paper describes the aims, objectives and first results of the observational program for the study of distant core-collapse supernovae (SNe) with redshifts z < 0.3. This work is done within the framework of an international cooperation program on the SNe monitoring at the 6-m BTA telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and other telescopes. We study both the early phases of events (SN type determination, redshift estimation, and a search for manifestations of a wind envelope), and the nebular phase (the effects of explosion asymmetry). The SNe, associated with cosmic gamma-ray bursts are of particular interest. An interpretation of our observational data along with the data obtained on other telescopes is used to test the existing theoretical models of both the SN explosion, and the surrounding circumstellar medium. In 2009 we observed 30 objects; the spectra were obtained for 12 of them. We determined the types, phases after maximum, and redshifts for five SNe (SN 2009db, SN 2009dy, SN 2009dw, SN 2009ew, SN 2009ji). Based on the obtained photometric data a discovery of two more SNe was confirmed (SN 2009bx and SN 2009cb). A study of two type II supernovae in the nebular phase (SN 2008gz and SN 2008in) is finalized, four more objects (SN 2008iy, SN 2009ay, SN 2009bw, SN 2009de) are currently monitored., Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, to be published in Astrophysical Bulletin 65, 230-237 (2010)