| 1. |
- Smartt, S. J., et al.
(författare)
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A kilonova as the electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational-wave source
- 2017
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 551:7678, s. 75-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gravitational waves were discovered with the detection of binary black-hole mergers(1) and they should also be detectable from lower-mass neutron-star mergers. These are predicted to eject material rich in heavy radioactive isotopes that can power an electromagnetic signal. This signal is luminous at optical and infrared wavelengths and is called a kilonova(2-5). The gravitational-wave source GW170817 arose from a binary neutron-star merger in the nearby Universe with a relatively well confined sky position and distance estimate(6). Here we report observations and physical modelling of a rapidly fading electromagnetic transient in the galaxy NGC 4993, which is spatially coincident with GW170817 and with a weak, short.-ray burst(7,8). The transient has physical parameters that broadly match the theoretical predictions of blue kilonovae from neutron-star mergers. The emitted electromagnetic radiation can be explained with an ejected mass of 0.04 +/- 0.01 solar masses, with an opacity of less than 0.5 square centimetres per gram, at a velocity of 0.2 +/- 0.1 times light speed. The power source is constrained to have a power-law slope of -1.2 +/- 0.3, consistent with radioactive powering from r-process nuclides. (The r-process is a series of neutron capture reactions that synthesise many of the elements heavier than iron.) We identify line features in the spectra that are consistent with light r-process elements (atomic masses of 90-140). As it fades, the transient rapidly becomes red, and a higher-opacity, lanthanide-rich ejecta component may contribute to the emission. This indicates that neutron-star mergers produce gravitational waves and radioactively powered kilonovae, and are a nucleosynthetic source of the r-process elements.
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| 2. |
- Camacho-Neves, Yssavo, et al.
(författare)
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Over 500 Days in the Life of the Photosphere of the Type Iax Supernova SN 2014dt
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 951:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Type Iax supernovae (SNe Iax) are the largest known class of peculiar white dwarf SNe, distinct from normal Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). The unique properties of SNe Iax, especially their strong photospheric lines out to extremely late times, allow us to model their optical spectra and derive the physical parameters of the long-lasting photosphere. We present an extensive spectral timeseries, including 21 new spectra, of SN Iax 2014dt from +11 to +562 days after maximum light. We are able to reproduce the entire timeseries with a self-consistent, nearly unaltered deflagration explosion model from Fink et al. using TARDIS, an open source radiative-transfer code. We find that the photospheric velocity of SN 2014dt slows its evolution between +64 and +148 days, which closely overlaps the phase when we see SN 2014dt diverge from the normal spectral evolution of SNe Ia (+90 to +150 days). The photospheric velocity at these epochs, ∼400–1000 km s−1, may demarcate a boundary within the ejecta below which the physics of SNe Iax and normal SNe Ia differ. Our results suggest that SN 2014dt is consistent with a weak deflagration explosion model that leaves behind a bound remnant and drives an optically thick, quasi-steady-state wind creating the photospheric lines at late times. The data also suggest that this wind may weaken at epochs past +450 days, perhaps indicating a radioactive power source that has decayed away.
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| 3. |
- Taubenberger, S., et al.
(författare)
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Spectroscopy of the Type Ia supernova 2011fe past 1000 d
- 2015
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966 .- 1745-3925 .- 1745-3933. ; 448:1, s. L48-L52
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this Letter we present an optical spectrum of SN 2011fe taken 1034 d after the explosion, several hundred days later than any other spectrum of a Type Ia supernova (disregarding light-echo spectra and Local Group remnants). The spectrum is still dominated by broad emission features, with no trace of a light echo or interaction of the supernova ejecta with surrounding interstellar material. Comparing this extremely late spectrum to an earlier one taken 331 d after the explosion, we find that the most prominent feature at 331 d - [Fe III] emission around 4700 angstrom - has entirely faded away, suggesting a significant change in the ionization state. Instead, [Fe II] lines are probably responsible for most of the emission at 1034 d. An emission feature at 6300-6400 angstrom has newly developed at 1034 d, which we tentatively identify with Fe I lambda 6359, [Fe I] lambda lambda 6231, 6394 or [O I] lambda lambda 6300, 6364. Interestingly, the features in the 1034 d spectrum seem to be collectively redshifted, a phenomenon that we currently have no convincing explanation for. We discuss the implications of our findings for explosion models, but conclude that sophisticated spectral modelling is required for any firm statement.
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| 4. |
- Flörs, A., et al.
(författare)
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Limits on stable iron in Type Ia supernovae from near-infrared spectroscopy
- 2018
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 620
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We obtained optical and near infrared spectra of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) at epochs ranging from 224 to 496 days after the explosion. The spectra show emission lines from forbidden transitions of singly ionised iron and cobalt atoms. We used non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) modelling of the first and second ionisation stages of iron, nickel, and cobalt to fit the spectra using a sampling algorithm allowing us to probe a broad parameter space. We derive velocity shifts, line widths, and abundance ratios for iron and cobalt. The measured line widths and velocity shifts of the singly ionised ions suggest a shared emitting region. Our data are fully compatible with radioactive Ni-56 decay as the origin for cobalt and iron. We compare the measured abundance ratios of iron and cobalt to theoretical predictions of various SN Ia explosion models. These models include, in addition to Ni-56, different amounts of Ni-57 and stable Fe-54,Fe-56. We can exclude models that produced only Fe-54,Fe-56 or only Ni-57 in addition to Ni-56. If we consider a model that has Ni-56, Ni-57; and Fe-54,Fe-56 then our data imply that these ratios are Fe-54,Fe-56/Ni-56 = 0.272 +/- 0.086 and Ni-57 / Ni-56 = 0.032 +/- 0.011.
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| 5. |
- Kerzendorf, W. E., et al.
(författare)
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Extremely late photometry of the nearby SN 2011fe
- 2017
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 472:3, s. 2534-2542
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Type Ia supernovae are widely accepted to be the outcomes of thermonuclear explosions in white dwarf stars. However, many details of these explosions remain uncertain (e.g. the mass, ignition mechanism and flame speed). Theory predicts that at very late times (beyond 1000 d) it might be possible to distinguish between explosion models. Few very nearby supernovae can be observed that long after the explosion. The Type Ia supernova SN 2011fe located in M101 and along a line of sight with negligible extinction, provides us with the once-in-a-lifetime chance to obtain measurements that may distinguish between theoretical models. In this work, we present the analysis of photometric data of SN2011fe taken between 900 and 1600 d after explosion with Gemini and HST. At these extremely late epochs theory suggests that the light-curve shape might be used to measure isotopic abundances which is a useful model discriminant. However, we show in this work that there are several currently not well constrained physical processes introducing large systematic uncertainties to the isotopic abundance measurement. We conclude that without further detailed knowledge of the physical processes at this late stage one cannot reliably exclude any models on the basis of this data set.
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