Discovery of Two Supernovae in the Nuclear Regions of the Luminous
  Infrared Galaxy IC 883
  We report the discovery of two consecutive supernovae (SNe), 2010cu and
2011hi, located at 0.37" (180 pc) and 0.79" (380 pc) projected distance
respectively from the centre of the K-band nucleus of the luminous infrared
galaxy IC 883. The SNe were discovered in an ongoing near-infrared K-band
search for core-collapse SNe in such galaxies using the ALTAIR/NIRI adaptive
optics system with laser guide star at the Gemini-North Telescope. These are
thus the closest SNe yet discovered to a LIRG nucleus in optical or
near-infrared wavelengths. The near-infrared light curves and colours of both
SNe are consistent with core-collapse events. Both SNe seem to suffer from
relatively low host galaxy extinction suggesting that regardless of their low
projected galactocentric distances, they are not deeply buried in the nuclear
regions of the host galaxy.
