| 31. |
- Jencson, Jacob E., et al.
(författare)
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Discovery of an Intermediate-luminosity Red Transient in M51 and Its Likely Dust-obscured, Infrared-variable Progenitor
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 880:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present the discovery of an optical transient (OT) in Messier. 51, designated M51 OT2019-1 (also ZTF 19aadyppr, AT 2019abn, ATLAS19bz1), by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF). The OT rose over 15. days to an observed luminosity of M-r = -13 (nu L-nu = 9 x 10(6) L-circle dot), in the luminosity gap between novae and typical supernovae (SNe). Spectra during the outburst show a red continuum, Balmer emission with a velocity width of approximate to 400 km s(-1), Ca II and [Ca II] emission, and absorption features characteristic of an F-type supergiant. The spectra and multiband light curves are similar to the so-called SN impostors and intermediate-luminosity red transients (ILRTs). We directly identify the likely progenitor in archival Spitzer Space Telescope imaging with a 4.5 mu m luminosity of M-[4.5] approximate to -12.2 mag and a [3.6]-[4.5] color redder than 0.74 mag, similar to those of the prototype ILRTs SN 2008S and NGC 300 OT2008-1. Intensive monitoring of M51 with Spitzer further reveals evidence for variability of the progenitor candidate at [ 4.5] in the years before the OT. The progenitor is not detected in pre-outburst Hubble Space Telescope optical and near-IR images. The optical colors during outburst combined with spectroscopic temperature constraints imply a higher reddening of E(B - V) approximate to 0.7 mag and higher intrinsic luminosity of M-r approximate to -14.9 mag (nu L-nu = 5.3 x 10(7) L-circle dot) near peak than seen in previous ILRT candidates. Moreover, the extinction estimate is higher on the rise than on the plateau, suggestive of an extended phase of circumstellar dust destruction. These results, enabled by the early discovery of M51. OT2019-1 and extensive pre-outburst archival coverage, offer new clues about the debated origins of ILRTs and may challenge the hypothesis that they arise from the electron-capture induced collapse of extreme asymptotic giant branch stars.
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| 32. |
- Jóhannesson, Gudlaugur, et al.
(författare)
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Low-energy Electrons in Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow Models
- 2018
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 859:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Observations of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows have long provided the most detailed information about the origin of this spectacular phenomenon. The model that is most commonly used to extract physical properties of the event from the observations is the relativistic fireball model, where ejected material moving at relativistic speeds creates a shock wave when it interacts with the surrounding medium. Electrons are accelerated in the shock wave, generating the observed synchrotron emission through interactions with the magnetic field in the downstream medium. It is usually assumed that the accelerated electrons follow a simple power-law distribution in energy between specific energy boundaries, and that no electron exists outside these boundaries. This Letter explores the consequences of adding a low-energy power-law segment to the electron distribution with energy that contributes insignificantly to the total energy budget of the distribution. The low-energy electrons have a significant impact on the radio emission, providing synchrotron absorption and emission at these long wavelengths. Shorter wavelengths are affected through the normalization of the distribution. The new model is used to analyze the light curves of GRB 990510, and the resulting parameters are compared to a model without the extra electrons. The quality of the fit and the best-fit parameters are significantly affected by the additional model component. The new component is in one case found to strongly affect the X-ray light curves, showing how changes to the model at radio frequencies can affect light curves at other frequencies through changes in best-fit model parameters.
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| 33. |
- Kay, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Frequency of Coronal Mass Ejection Impacts with Early Terrestrial Planets and Exoplanets around Active Solar-like Stars
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 886:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Energetic flares and associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from young magnetically active solar-like stars can play a critical role in setting conditions for atmospheric escape as well as penetration of accelerated particles into their atmospheres that promotes formation of biologically relevant molecules. We have used the observationally reconstructed magnetic field of the 0.7 Gyr young Sun?s twin, k(1) Ceti, to study the effects of CME deflections in the magnetic corona of the young Sun and their effects on the impact frequency on the early Venus, Earth, and Mars. We find that the coronal magnetic field deflects the CMEs toward the astrospheric current sheet. This effect suggests that CMEs tend to propagate within a small cone about the ecliptic plane increasing the impact frequency of CMEs with planetary magnetospheres near this plane to ?30% or by a factor of 6 as compared to previous estimate by Airapetian et al. Our model has important implications for the rise of prebiotic chemistry on early terrestrial planets as well as terrestrial-type exoplanets around young G-K dwarfs.
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| 34. |
- Lundman, Christoffer, et al.
(författare)
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A First-principle Simulation of Blast-wave Emergence at the Photosphere of a Neutron Star Merger
- 2021
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 907:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present the first ab initio simulation of a radiation-mediated shock emerging at the photosphere of a relativistic outflow. The simulation is performed using our code radshock that follows fluid dynamics coupled to time-dependent radiative transfer, calculated with the Monte-Carlo method. We use the code to examine the radiative blast wave emerging from neutron star merger GW170817. It was previously proposed that the merger ejected a dark, relativistically expanding, homologous envelope, and then an explosion inside the envelope produced the observed gamma-ray burst GRB 170817A. Our simulation demonstrates how the shock wave generates radiation as it propagates through the envelope, approaches its photosphere, releases the radiation, and collapses, splitting into two collisionless shocks of a microscopic thickness. We find the light curve and the spectral evolution of the produced gamma-ray burst; both are similar to the observed GRB 170817A.
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| 35. |
- Marcelli, N., et al.
(författare)
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Helium Fluxes Measured by the PAMELA Experiment from the Minimum to the Maximum Solar Activity for Solar Cycle 24
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : IOP Publishing Ltd. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 925:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Time-dependent energy spectra of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) carry fundamental information regarding their origin and propagation. When observed at the Earth, these spectra are significantly affected by the solar wind and the embedded solar magnetic field that permeates the heliosphere, changing significantly over an 11 yr solar cycle. Energy spectra of GCRs measured during different epochs of solar activity provide crucial information for a thorough understanding of solar and heliospheric phenomena. The PAMELA experiment collected data for almost 10 years (2006 June 15-2016 January 23), including the minimum phase of solar cycle 23 and the maximum phase of solar cycle 24. In this paper, we present new spectra for helium nuclei measured by the PAMELA instrument from 2010 January to 2014 September over a three-Carrington-rotation time basis. These data are compared to the PAMELA spectra measured during the previous solar minimum, providing a picture of the time dependence of the helium-nuclei fluxes over a nearly full solar cycle. Time and rigidity dependencies are observed in the proton-to-helium flux ratios. The force-field approximation of the solar modulation was used to relate these dependencies to the shapes of the local interstellar proton and helium-nuclei spectra.
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| 36. |
- Marini, Ester, et al.
(författare)
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Discovery of Stars Surrounded by Iron Dust in the Large Magellanic Cloud
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 871:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We consider a small sample of oxygen-rich, asymptotic giant branch stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud, observed by the Spitzer Space Telescope, exhibiting a peculiar spectral energy distribution, which can hardly be explained by the common assumption that dust around Asymptotic Giant Branch stars is primarily composed of silicate grains. We suggest that this uncommon class of objects is the progeny of a metal-poor generation of stars, with metallicity Z similar to 1-2 x 10(-3), formed similar to 100 Myr ago. The main dust component in the circumstellar envelope is solid iron. In these stars the poor formation of silicates is set by the strong nucleosynthesis experienced at the base of the envelope, which provokes a scarcity of magnesium atoms and water molecules, required for the silicate formation. The importance of the present results to interpret the data from the incoming James Webb Space Telescope is also discussed.
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| 37. |
- Martínez-Sykora, Juan, et al.
(författare)
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The Formation Height of Millimeter-wavelength Emission in the Solar Chromosphere
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 891:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the past few years, the ALMA radio telescope has become available for solar observations. ALMA diagnostics of the solar atmosphere are of high interest because of the theoretically expected linear relationship between the brightness temperature at millimeter wavelengths and the local gas temperature in the solar atmosphere. Key for the interpretation of solar ALMA observations is understanding where in the solar atmosphere the ALMA emission originates. Recent theoretical studies have suggested that ALMA bands at 1.2 (band 6) and 3 mm (band 3) form in the middle and upper chromosphere at significantly different heights. We study the formation of ALMA diagnostics using a 2.5D radiative MHD model that includes the effects of ion-neutral interactions (ambipolar diffusion) and nonequilibrium ionization of hydrogen and helium. Our results suggest that in active regions and network regions, observations at both wavelengths most often originate from similar heights in the upper chromosphere, contrary to previous results. Nonequilibrium ionization increases the opacity in the chromosphere so that ALMA mostly observes spicules and fibrils along the canopy fields. We combine these modeling results with observations from IRIS, SDO, and ALMA to suggest a new interpretation for the recently reported dark chromospheric holes, regions of very low temperatures in the chromosphere.
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| 38. |
- Martucci, M., et al.
(författare)
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Proton Fluxes Measured by the PAMELA Experiment from the Minimum to the Maximum Solar Activity for Solar Cycle 24
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 854:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Precise measurements of the time-dependent intensity of the low-energy (<50 GeV) galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) are fundamental to test and improve the models that describe their propagation inside the heliosphere. In particular, data spanning different solar activity periods, i.e., from minimum to maximum, are needed to achieve comprehensive understanding of such physical phenomena. The minimum phase between solar cycles 23 and 24 was peculiarly long, extending up to the beginning of 2010 and followed by the maximum phase, reached during early 2014. In this Letter, we present proton differential spectra measured from 2010 January to 2014 February by the PAMELA experiment. For the first time the GCR proton intensity was studied over a wide energy range (0.08-50 GeV) by a single apparatus from a minimum to a maximum period of solar activity. The large statistics allowed the time variation to be investigated on a nearly monthly basis. Data were compared and interpreted in the context of a state-of-the-art three-dimensional model describing the GCRs propagation through the heliosphere.
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| 39. |
- Riviere-Marichalar, Pablo, et al.
(författare)
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Gas Accretion within the Dust Cavity in AB Aur
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8213 .- 2041-8205. ; 879:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AB Aur is a Herbig Ae star hosting a well-known transitional disk. Because of its proximity and low inclination angle, it is an excellent object to study planet formation. Our goal is to investigate the chemistry and dynamics of the molecular gas component in the AB Aur disk, and its relation with the prominent horseshoe shape observed in continuum mm emission. We used the Northern Extended Milimeter Array interferometer to map with high angular resolution the J = 3-2 lines of HCO+ and HCN. By combining both, we can gain insight into the AB Aur disk structure. Chemical segregation is observed in the AB Aur disk: HCO+ shows intense emission toward the star position, at least one bright molecular bridge within the dust cavity, and ring-like emission at larger radii, while HCN is only detected in an annular ring that is coincident with the dust ring and presents an intense peak close to the dust trap. We use HCO+ to investigate the gas dynamics inside the cavity. The observed bright HCO+ bridge connects the compact central source with the outer dusty ring. This bridge can be interpreted as an accretion flow from the outer ring to the inner disk/jet system proving gas accretion through the cavity.
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| 40. |
- Rutkowski, Michael J., et al.
(författare)
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The Lyman Continuum Escape Fraction of Emission Line-selected z similar to 2.5 Galaxies Is Less Than 15%
- 2017
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 841:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent work suggests that strong emission line, star-forming galaxies (SFGs) may be significant Lyman continuum leakers. We combine archival Hubble Space Telescope broadband ultraviolet and optical imaging (F275W and F606W, respectively) with emission line catalogs derived from WFC3 IR G141 grism spectroscopy to search for escaping Lyman continuum (LyC) emission from homogeneously selected z similar to 2.5 SFGs. We detect no escaping Lyman continuum from SFGs selected on [O II] nebular emission (N = 208) and, within a narrow redshift range, on [O III]/[O II]. We measure 1 sigma upper limits to the LyC escape fraction relative to the non-ionizing UV continuum from [O II] emitters, f(esc) less than or similar to 5.6%, and strong [O III]/[O II] > 5 ELGs, f(esc) less than or similar to 14.0%. Our observations are not deep enough to detect f(esc) similar to 10% typical of low-redshift Lyman continuum emitters. However, we find that this population represents a small fraction of the star-forming galaxy population at z similar to 2. Thus, unless the number of extreme emission line galaxies grows substantially to z greater than or similar to 6, such galaxies may be insufficient for reionization. Deeper survey data in the rest-frame ionizing UV will be necessary to determine whether strong line ratios could be useful for pre-selecting LyC leakers at high redshift.
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