Optical photometry and spectroscopy of the SN 1998bw-like Type Ic supernova 2002ap

We present optical photometric and spectral data of the peculiar Type Ic supernova SN 2002ap. Photometric coverage includes UBVRI bands from 2002 January 30, the day after discovery, through 2002 December 12. There are five early-time spectra and eight in the nebular phase. We determine that SN 2002ap is similar to SN 1997ef and the gamma-ray burst - associated SN 1998bw with respect to spectral and photometric characteristics. The nebular spectra of SN 2002ap present the largest Mg I] lambda4571 to [ O I] lambdalambda6300, 6364 ratio of any supernova spectra yet published, suggesting that the progenitor of SN 2002ap was a highly stripped star. Comparing the nebular spectra of SN 1985F and SN 2002ap, we notice several similar features, casting the classification of SN 1985F as a normal Type Ib supernova in doubt. We also present nebular modeling of SN 2002ap and find that the object ejected greater than or similar to 1.5 M-., of material within the outer velocity shell of the nebula (similar to5500 km s(-1)) and synthesized similar to0.09 M-., of Ni-56.