High angular resolution radio and infrared view of optically dark supernovae in luminous infrared galaxies

In luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies (U/LIRGs), the infall of gas into the central regions strongly enhances the star formation rate (SFR), especially within the nuclear regions which have also large amounts of interstellar dust. Within these regions SFRs of several tens to hundreds of solar masses per year ought to give rise to core-collapse supernova (SN) rates up to 1-2 SNe every year per galaxy. However, the current SN surveys, almost exclusively being ground-based seeing-limited and working at optical wavelengths, have been blinded by the interstellar dust and contrast issues therein. Thus the properties and rates of SNe in the nuclear environments of the most prolific SN factories in the Universe have remained largely unexplored. Here, we present results from high angular resolution observations of nearby LIRGs at infrared and radio wavelengths much less affected by the effects of extinction and lack of resolution hampering the optical searches.