| 1. |
- Altavilla, G., et al.
(författare)
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The early spectral evolution of SN2004dt
- 2007
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 475:2, s. 585-595
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims. We study the optical spectroscopic properties of Type Ia Supernova (SNIa) 2004dt, focusing our attention on the early epochs. Methods. Observation triggered soon after the SN 2004dt discovery allowed us to obtain a spectrophotometric coverage from day -10 to almost one year (similar to 353 days) after the B band maximum. Observations carried out on an almost daily basis allowed us a good sampling of the fast spectroscopic evolution of SN 2004dt in the early stages. To obtain this result, low-resolution, long-slit spectroscopy was obtained using a number of facilities. Results. This supernova, which in some absorption lines of its early spectra showed the highest degree of polarization ever measured in any SN Ia, has a complex velocity structure in the outer layers of its ejecta. Unburnt oxygen is present, moving at velocities as high as similar to 16 700 km s(-1), with some intermediate-mass elements (Mg, Si, Ca) moving equally fast. Modeling of the spectra based on standard density profiles of the ejecta fails to reproduce the observed features, whereas enhancing the density of outer layers significantly improves the fit. Our analysis indicates the presence of clumps of high-velocity, intermediate-mass elements in the outermost layers, which is also suggested by the spectropolarimetric data.
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| 2. |
- Altavilla, G., et al.
(författare)
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Type Ia SNe Along Redshift : The \mathcal {R}(Si II) Ratio and the Expansion Velocities in Intermediate-z Supernovae
- 2009
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 695, s. 135-148
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present a study of intermediate-z Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) using empirical physical diagrams which permit the investigation of those SNe explosions. This information can be very useful to reduce systematic uncertainties of the Hubble diagram of SNe Ia up to high z. The study of the expansion velocities and the measurement of the ratio \mathcal {R}(Si II) allow subtyping of SNe Ia as done in nearby samples. The evolution of this ratio as seen in the diagram \mathcal {R}(Si II)-(t) together with \mathcal {R}(Si II)max versus (B - V)0 indicates consistency of the properties at intermediate-z compared with the nearby SNe Ia. At intermediate-z, expansion velocities of Ca II and Si II are found similar to those of the nearby sample. This is found in a sample of six SNe Ia in the range 0.033 <=z<= 0.329 discovered within the International Time Programme of SNe Ia for Cosmology and Physics in the spring run of 2002.7The program run under Omega and Lambda from Supernovae and the Physics of Supernova Explosions within the International Time Programme at the telescopes of the European Northern Observatory (ENO) at La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain). Two SNe Ia at intermediate-z were of the cool FAINT type, one being an SN1986G-like object highly reddened. The \mathcal {R}(Si II) ratio as well as subclassification of the SNe Ia beyond templates help to place SNe Ia in their sequence of brightness and to distinguish between reddened and intrinsically red supernovae. This test can be done with very high z SNe Ia and it will help to reduce systematic uncertainties due to extinction by dust. It should allow to map the high-z sample into the nearby one.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Amanullah, Rahman, 1977-
(författare)
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Observations of distant supernovae and cosmological implications
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Type Ia supernovae can be used as distance indicators for probing the expansion history of the Universe. The method has proved to be an efficient tool in cosmology and played a decisive role in the discovery of a yet unknown energy form, dark energy, that drives the accelerated expansion of the Universe. The work in this thesis addresses the nature of dark energy, both by presenting existing data, and by predicting opportunities and difficulties related to possible future data.Optical and infrared measurements of type Ia supernovae for different epochs in the cosmic expansion history are presented along with a discussion of the systematic errors. The data have been obtained with several instruments, and an optimal method for measuring the lightcurve of a background contaminated source has been used. The procedure was also tested by applying it on simulated images.The future of supernova cosmology, and the target precision of cosmological parameters for the proposed SNAP satellite are discussed. In particular, the limits that can be set on various dark energy scenarios are investigated. The possibility of distinguishing between different inverse power-law quintessence models is also studied. The predictions are based on calculations made with the Supernova Observation Calculator, a software package, introduced in the thesis, for simulating the light propagation from distant objects. This tool has also been used for investigating how SNAP observations could be biased by gravitational lensing, and to what extent this would affect cosmology fitting. An alternative approach for estimating cosmological parameters, where lensing effects are taken into account, is also suggested. Finally, it is investigated to what extent strongly lensed core-collapse supernovae could be used as an alternative approach for determining cosmological parameters.
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| 5. |
- Andersson, Karl, et al.
(författare)
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Characterizing the Properties of Clusters of Galaxies as a Function of Luminosity and Redshift
- 2009
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 696, s. 1029-1050
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the application of the new Monte Carlo method, smoothed particle inference (SPI, described in a pair of companion papers), toward analysis and interpretation of X-ray observations of clusters of galaxies with the XMM-Newton satellite. Our sample consists of publicly available well exposed observations of clusters at redshifts z > 0.069, totaling 101 objects. We determine the luminosity and temperature structure of the X-ray emitting gas, with the goal to quantify the scatter and the evolution of the LX -T relation, as well as to investigate the dependence on cluster substructure with redshift. This work is important for the establishment of the potential robustness of mass estimates from X-ray data which in turn is essential toward the use of clusters for measurements of cosmological parameters. We use the luminosity and temperature maps derived via the SPI technique to determine the presence of cooling cores, via measurements of luminosity and temperature contrast. The LX -T relation is investigated, and we confirm that LX vprop T 3. We find a weak redshift dependence (\propto (1+z)^{\beta _{LT}}, \beta _{LT}=0.50 \pm 0.34), in contrast to some Chandra results. The level of dynamical activity is established using the "power ratio" method, and we compare our results to previous application of this method to Chandra data for clusters. We find signs of evolution in the P 3/P 0 power ratio. A new method, the "temperature two-point correlation function," is proposed. This method is used to determine the "power spectrum" of temperature fluctuations in the X-ray emitting gas as a function of spatial scale. We show how this method can be fruitfully used to identify cooling core clusters as well as those with disturbed structures, presumably due to ongoing or recent merger activity.
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| 6. |
- Andersson, Karl, 1977-
(författare)
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Characterizing the X-ray Properties of Clusters of Galaxies
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Clusters of galaxies are the most massive bound structures known and represent a fair sample of the baryonic and dark matter content of the universe. The hot baryonic gas present in cluster dark matter halos cause them to emit in the X-ray band.The observed number density of clusters with a given mass is a direct implication of the initial power spectrum of density fluctuations in the early universe and the cosmological parameters. Since mass cannot be directly observed, measurements of the cluster mass function depend on mass-observable relations such as the mass-temperature and luminosity-temperature relations. The understanding of these relations and the underlying physical processes are crucial for using clusters as cosmological probes.Detailed mapping of cluster properties can be obtained from spatially resolved X-ray spectra from satellites XMM-Newton and Chandra. This work represents an attempt to model these data in the most efficient way, taking into account the associated imperfections of current X-ray mirrors and detectors.The method of Smoothed Particle Inference (SPI) is developed and applied to a large sample of clusters observed with XMM-Newton. The output of this modeling is used to categorize the clusters, quantify substructure and measure the luminosity-temperature relation separately for multiple subsamples. The normalization of this relation is found to exhibit weak evolution with redshift consistent with some models of cluster formation.Finally, a new method is introduced, based on the temperature structure of clusters, to distinguish between isothermal clusters, cool core clusters and clusters with a large degree of substructure indicative of a current or recent merger event. This will provide a tool for comparison to simulations of structure formation to test the frequency of merging activity and the efficiency of transport processes in the intra cluster medium.
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| 7. |
- Barbary, K., et al.
(författare)
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Discovery of an Unusual Optical Transient with the Hubble Space Telescope
- 2009
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 690, s. 1358-1362
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present observations of SCP 06F6, an unusual optical transient discovered during the Hubble Space Telescope Cluster Supernova Survey. The transient brightened over a period of ~100 days, reached a peak magnitude of ~ 21.0 in both i 775 and z 850, and then declined over a similar timescale. There is no host galaxy or progenitor star detected at the location of the transient to a 3σ upper limit of i 775 >= 26.4 and z 850 >= 26.1, giving a corresponding lower limit on the flux increase of a factor of ~ 120. Multiple spectra show five broad absorption bands between 4100 Å and 6500 Å, and a mostly featureless continuum longward of 6500 Å. The shape of the light curve is inconsistent with microlensing. The transient's spectrum, in addition to being inconsistent with all known supernova types, does not match any spectrum in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey database. We suggest that the transient may be one of a new class. Based in part on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the data archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc. under the NASA contract NAS 5-26555. The observations are associated with program GO-10496. Based in part on observations obtained at the European Southern Observatory under ESO program 077.A-0110. Based in part on observations collected at Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and NASA.
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| 8. |
- Dawson, K. S., et al.
(författare)
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An Intensive Hubble Space Telescope Survey for z>1 Type Ia Supernovae by Targeting Galaxy Clusters
- 2009
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Ingår i: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-6256 .- 1538-3881. ; 138, s. 1271-1283
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present a new survey strategy to discover and study high-redshift Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). By targeting massive galaxy clusters at 0.9 < z < 1.5, we obtain a twofold improvement in the efficiency of finding SNe compared to an HST field survey and a factor of 3 improvement in the total yield of SN detections in relatively dust-free red-sequence galaxies. In total, sixteen SNe were discovered at z>0.95, nine of which were in galaxy clusters. This strategy provides an SN sample that can be used to decouple the effects of host-galaxy extinction and intrinsic color in high-redshift SNe, thereby reducing one of the largest systematic uncertainties in SN cosmology. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and obtained from the data archive at the Space Telescope Institute. STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. under the NASA contract NAS 5-26555. The observations are associated with program 10496.
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| 9. |
- Frieman, Josh, et al.
(författare)
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The Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II Supernova Survey : Technical Summary
- 2008
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Ingår i: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-6256 .- 1538-3881. ; 135:1, s. 338-347
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II (SDSS-II) has embarked on a multi-year project to identify and measure light curves for intermediate-redshift (0.05 < z < 0.35) Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) using repeated five-band (ugriz) imaging over an area of 300 sq. deg. The survey region is a stripe 2.5° wide centered on the celestial equator in the Southern Galactic Cap that has been imaged numerous times in earlier years, enabling construction of a deep reference image for the discovery of new objects. Supernova imaging observations are being acquired between September 1 and November 30 of 2005-7. During the first two seasons, each region was imaged on average every five nights. Spectroscopic follow-up observations to determine supernova type and redshift are carried out on a large number of telescopes. In its first two three-month seasons, the survey has discovered and measured light curves for 327 spectroscopically confirmed SNe Ia, 30 probable SNe Ia, 14 confirmed SNe Ib/c, 32 confirmed SNe II, plus a large number of photometrically identified SNe Ia, 94 of which have host-galaxy spectra taken so far. This paper provides an overview of the project and briefly describes the observations completed during the first two seasons of operation.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Goobar, Ariel, et al.
(författare)
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Near-IR search for lensed supernovae behind galaxy clusters. II. First detection and future prospects
- 2009
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 507:1, s. 71-83
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: Powerful gravitational telescopes in the form of massive galaxy clusters can be used to enhance the light collecting power over a limited field of view by about an order of magnitude in flux. This effect is exploited here to increase the depth of a survey for lensed supernovae at near-IR wavelengths. Methods: We present a pilot supernova search programme conducted with the ISAAC camera at VLT. Lensed galaxies behind the massive clusters A1689, A1835, and AC114 were observed for a total of 20 h divided into 2, 3, and 4 epochs respectively, separated by approximately one month to a limiting magnitude J ≲ 24 (Vega). Image subtractions including another 20 h worth of archival ISAAC/VLT data were used to search for transients with lightcurve properties consistent with redshifted supernovae, both in the new and reference data. Results: The feasibility of finding lensed supernovae in our survey was investigated using synthetic lightcurves of supernovae and several models of the volumetric type Ia and core-collapse supernova rates as a function of redshift. We also estimate the number of supernova discoveries expected from the inferred star-formation rate in the observed galaxies. The methods consistently predict a Poisson mean value for the expected number of supernovae in the survey of between N_SN = 0.8 and 1.6 for all supernova types, evenly distributed between core collapse and type Ia supernovae. One transient object was found behind A1689, 0.5 arcsec from a galaxy with photometric redshift z_gal = 0.6 ± 0.15. The lightcurve and colors of the transient are consistent with being a reddened type IIP supernova at z_SN = 0.59. The lensing model predicts 1.4 mag of magnification at the location of the transient, without which this object would not have been detected in the near-IR ground-based search described in this paper (unlensed magnitude J ~ 25). We perform a feasibility study of the potential for lensed supernovae discoveries with larger and deeper surveys and conclude that the use of gravitational telescopes is a very exciting path for new discoveries. For example, a monthly rolling supernova search of a single very massive cluster with the HAWK-I camera at VLT would yield ≳ 10 lensed supernova lightcurves per year, where type Ia supernovae would constitute about half of the expected sample. Based on observations made with ESO telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory under programme ID 079.A-0192 and ID 081.A-0734.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Gunnarsson, Christofer, et al.
(författare)
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Corrections for gravitational lensing of supernovae : better than average?
- 2006
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : The American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 640, s. 417-427
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigate the possibility of correcting for magnification due to gravitational lensing of standard candlesources, such as Type Ia supernovae. Our method uses the observed properties of the foreground galaxies along thelines of sight to each source, and the accuracy of the lensing correction depends on the quality and depth of theseobservations as well as the uncertainties in translating the observed luminosities to the matter distribution in thelensing galaxies. The current work is limited to cases in which the matter density is dominated by the individualgalaxy halos. However, it is straightforward to generalize the method to also include gravitational lensing fromcluster scale halos.We show that the dispersion due to lensing for a standard candle source at z ¼1:5 can be reducedfrom about 7% toP3%; i.e., the magnification correction is useful in reducing the scatter in the Type Ia Hubble diagram,especially at high redshifts where the required long exposure times make it hard to reach large statistics andthe dispersion due to lensing becomes comparable to the intrinsic Type Ia scatter.
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| 14. |
- Jönsson, Jakob, et al.
(författare)
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Lensing magnification of supernovae in the GOODS-fields
- 2006
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 639:2, s. 991-998
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gravitational lensing of high-redshift supernovae is potentially an important source of uncertainty when cosmological parameters are being derived from the measured brightness of Type Ia supernovae, especially in deep surveys with scarce statistics. Photometric and spectroscopic measurements of foreground galaxies along the lines of sight of 33 supernovae discovered with the Hubble Space Telescope, both core-collapse and Type Ia, are used to model the magnification probability distributions of the sources. Modelling galaxy halos with SIS or NFW profiles and using M/L scaling laws provided by the Faber-Jackson and Tully-Fisher relations, we find clear evidence for supernovae with lensing (de)magnification. However, the magnification distribution of the Type Ia supernovae used to determine cosmological distances matches very well the expectations for an unbiased sample; i.e., their mean magnification factor is consistent with unity. Our results show that the lensing distortions of the supernova brightness can be well understood for the GOODS sample and that correcting for this effect has a negligible impact on the derived cosmological parameters.
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| 15. |
- Jönsson, Jakob, et al.
(författare)
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Tentative detection of the gravitational magnification of Type Ia supernovae
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. - : IOP Publishing. - 1475-7516. ; 2007:6, s. 002-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The flux from distant Type Ia supernovae (SNe) is likely to be amplified or de-amplified by gravitational lensing due to matter distributions along the line of sight. A gravitationally lensed supernova would appear brighter or fainter than the average SN at a particular redshift. We estimate the magnification of 26 SNe in the GOODS fields and search for a correlation with the residual magnitudes of the SNe. The residual magnitude, i.e. the difference between observed and average magnitude predicted by the 'concordance model' of the Universe, indicates the deviation in flux from the average SN. The linear correlation coefficient for this sample is r = 0.29. For a similar, but uncorrelated sample, the probability of obtaining a correlation coefficient equal to or higher than this value is ~10%, i.e. a tentative detection of lensing at ~90% confidence level. Although the evidence for a correlation is weak, our result is in accordance with what could be expected given the small size of the sample.
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| 16. |
- Jönsson, Jakob, et al.
(författare)
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Tuning Gravitationally Lensed Standard Sirens
- 2007
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Ingår i: The Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 658:1, s. 52-59
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gravitational waves emitted by chirping supermassive black hole binaries could in principle be used to obtain very accurate distance determinations. Provided they have an electromagnetic counterpart from which the redshift can be determined, these standard sirens could be used to build a high-redshift Hubble diagram. Errors in the distance measurements will most likely be dominated by gravitational lensing. We show that the (de)magnification due to inhomogeneous foreground matter will increase the scatter in the measured distances by a factor of ~10. We propose to use optical and IR data of the foreground galaxies to minimize the degradation from weak lensing. We find that the net effect of correcting the estimated distances for lensing is comparable to increasing the sample size by a factor of 3 when using the data to constrain cosmological parameters.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
- Nobili, Serena, et al.
(författare)
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Constraining Dust and Color Variations of High-z SNe Using NICMOS on the Hubble Space Telescope
- 2009
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 700, s. 1415-1427
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present data from the Supernova Cosmology Project for five high redshift Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) that were obtained using the NICMOS infrared camera on the Hubble Space Telescope. We add two SNe from this sample to a rest-frame I-band Hubble diagram, doubling the number of high redshift supernovae on this diagram. This I-band Hubble diagram is consistent with a flat universe (ΩM, ΩΛ) = (0.29, 0.71). A homogeneous distribution of large grain dust in the intergalactic medium (replenishing dust) is incompatible with the data and is excluded at the 5σ confidence level, if the SN host galaxy reddening is corrected assuming RV = 1.75. We use both optical and infrared observations to compare photometric properties of distant SNe Ia with those of nearby objects. We find generally good agreement with the expected color evolution for all SNe except the highest redshift SN in our sample (SN 1997ek at z = 0.863) which shows a peculiar color behavior. We also present spectra obtained from ground-based telescopes for type identification and determination of redshift. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the data archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute. STScI is operated by the association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. under the NASA contract NAS 5-26555. The observations are associated with program GO-07850.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Nordin, Jakob, et al.
(författare)
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Quantifying Systematic Uncertainties in Supernova Cosmology
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. - : IOP Publishing. - 1475-7516. ; 02, s. 008-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Observations of Type Ia supernovae used to map the expansion history of the Universe suffer from systematic uncertainties that need to be propagated into the estimates of cosmological parameters. We propose an iterative Monte Carlo simulation and cosmology fitting technique (SMOCK) to investigate the impact of sources of error upon fits of the dark energy equation of state. This approach is especially useful to track the impact of non-Gaussian, correlated effects, e.g. reddening correction errors, brightness evolution of the supernovae, K-corrections, gravitational lensing, etc. While the tool is primarily aimed at studies and optimization of future instruments, we use the Gold data-set in Riess et al (2007 Astrophys. J. 659 98) to show examples of potential systematic uncertainties that could exceed the quoted statistical uncertainties.
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| 22. |
- Rubin, D., et al.
(författare)
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Looking Beyond Lambda with the Union Supernova Compilation
- 2009
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 695, s. 391-403
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The recent robust and homogeneous analysis of the world's supernova distance-redshift data, together with cosmic microwave background and baryon acoustic oscillation data—provides a powerful tool for constraining cosmological models. Here we examine particular classes of scalar field, modified gravity, and phenomenological models to assess whether they are consistent with observations even when their behavior deviates from the cosmological constant Λ. Some models have tension with the data, while others survive only by approaching the cosmological constant, and a couple are statistically favored over Λ cold dark matter. Dark energy described by two equation-of-state parameters has considerable phase space to avoid Λ and next-generation data will be required to constrain such physics, with the level of complementarity between probes varying with cosmology.
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| 23. |
- Rydbeck, Sara, et al.
(författare)
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Testing the DGP Model with ESSENCE
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. - : IOP Publishing. - 1475-7516. ; :05, s. 003-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We use the recent supernova data set from the ESSENCE collaboration combined with data from the Supernova Legacy Survey and nearby supernovae to test the Dvali–Gabadadze–Porrati (DGP) brane world model and its generalizations. Combination of these data with a flatness prior and the position of the peak of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation disfavours the DGP model slightly. Inclusion of the baryon acoustic peak from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey increase the tension of the DGP model with the data, although it is not clear how self-consistent this procedure would be without a re-analysis of the survey data in the framework of the DGP cosmology. Generalizations of the DGP model are tested and constraints on relevant parameters obtained.
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| 24. |
- Stanishev, Vallery, et al.
(författare)
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Near-IR search for lensed supernovae behind galaxy clusters. I. Observations and transient detection efficiency
- 2009
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 507:1, s. 61-69
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: Massive galaxy clusters at intermediate redshift can magnify the flux of distant background sources by several magnitudes. Aims: We exploit this effect to search for lensed distant supernovae that may otherwise be too faint to be detected. Methods: A supernova search was conducted at near infrared wavelengths using the ISAAC instrument at the VLT. The massive galaxy clusters Abell 1689, Abell 1835, and AC114 were observed for a total of 20 h to search for supernovae in gravitationally magnified background galaxies. The observations were split into individual epochs of 2 h of exposure time, separated by approximately one month. Image-subtraction techniques were used to search for transient objects with light curve properties consistent with supernovae, both in our new and archival ISAAC/VLT data. The limiting magnitude of the individual epochs was estimated by adding artificial stars to the subtracted images. Most of the epochs reach 90% detection efficiency at SZ(J) ≃ 23.8-24.0 mag (Vega). Results: Two transient objects, both in archival images of Abell 1689 and AC114, were detected. The transient in AC114 coincides - within the position uncertainty - with an X-ray source and is likely to be a variable AGN at the cluster redshift. The transient in Abell 1689 was found at SZ = 23.24 mag, ~0.5´´away from a galaxy with photometric redshift z_gal = 0.6 ± 0.15. The light curves and the colors of the transient are consistent with a reddened type IIP supernova at redshift z = 0.59 ± 0.05. The lensing model of Abell 1689 predicts ~1.4 mag of magnification at the position of the transient, making it the most magnified supernova ever found and only the second supernova found behind a galaxy cluster. Conclusions: Our pilot survey has demonstrated the feasibility to find distant gravitationally magnified supernovae behind massive galaxy clusters. One likely supernova was found behind Abell 1689, in accordance with the expectations for this survey, as shown in an accompanying analysis paper. Based on observations made with ESO telescopes at the Paranal Observatory under program IDs 079.A-0192 and 081.A-0734.
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| 25. |
- Stanishev, Vallery, et al.
(författare)
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SN 2003du: 480 days in the life of a normal type Ia supernova
- 2007
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 469:2, s. 645-661
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims.We present a study of the optical and near-infrared (NIR) properties of the Type Ia Supernova (SN Ia) 2003du.Methods: An extensive set of optical and NIR photometry and low-resolution long-slit spectra was obtained using a number of facilities. The observations started 13 days before B-band maximum light and continued for 480 days with exceptionally good time sampling. The optical photometry was calibrated through the S-correction technique.Results: The {UBVRIJHK} light curves and the color indices of SN 2003du closely resemble those of normal SNe Ia. SN 2003du reached a B-band maximum of 13.49 ± 0.02 mag on JD2 452 766.38 ± 0.5. We derive a B-band stretch parameter of 0.988 ±0.003, which corresponds to Δ m15=1.02 ±0.05, indicative of a SN Ia of standard luminosity. The reddening in the host galaxy was estimated by three methods, and was consistently found to be negligible. Using an updated calibration of the V and {JHK} absolute magnitudes of SNe Ia, we find a distance modulus μ=32.79±0.15 mag to the host galaxy, UGC 9391. We measure a peak {uvoir} bolometric luminosity of 1.35(±0.20)×1043 erg s-1 and Arnett's rule implies that M56Ni≃0.68 ±0.14 Mȯ of 56Ni was synthesized during the explosion. Modeling of the {uvoir} bolometric light curve also indicates M56Ni in the range 0.6-0.8 Mȯ. The spectral evolution of SN 2003du at both optical and NIR wavelengths also closely resembles normal SNe Ia. In particular, the Si II ratio at maximum R(Si II) = 0.22 ±0.02 and the time evolution of the blueshift velocities of the absorption line minima are typical. The pre-maximum spectra of SN 2003du showed conspicuous high-velocity features in the Ca II H&K doublet and infrared triplet, and possibly in Si II λ6355, lines. We compare the time evolution of the profiles of these lines with other well-observed SNe Ia and we suggest that the peculiar pre-maximum evolution of Si II λ6355 line in many SNe Ia is due to the presence of two blended absorption components.
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