| 1. |
- Kann, D. A., et al.
(author)
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THE AFTERGLOWS OF SWIFT-ERA GAMMA-RAY BURSTS. I. COMPARING PRE-SWIFT AND SWIFT-ERA LONG/SOFT (TYPE II) GRB OPTICAL AFTERGLOWS
- 2010
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 720:2, s. 1513-1558
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have gathered optical photometry data from the literature on a large sample of Swift-era gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows including GRBs up to 2009 September, for a total of 76 GRBs, and present an additional three pre-Swift GRBs not included in an earlier sample. Furthermore, we publish 840 additional new photometry data points on a total of 42 GRB afterglows, including large data sets for GRBs 050319, 050408, 050802, 050820A, 050922C, 060418, 080413A, and 080810. We analyzed the light curves of all GRBs in the sample and derived spectral energy distributions for the sample with the best data quality, allowing us to estimate the host-galaxy extinction. We transformed the afterglow light curves into an extinction-corrected z = 1 system and compared their luminosities with a sample of pre-Swift afterglows. The results of a former study, which showed that GRB afterglows clustered and exhibited a bimodal distribution in luminosity space, are weakened by the larger sample. We found that the luminosity distribution of the two afterglow samples (Swift-era and pre-Swift) is very similar, and that a subsample for which we were not able to estimate the extinction, which is fainter than the main sample, can be explained by assuming a moderate amount of line-of-sight host extinction. We derived bolometric isotropic energies for all GRBs in our sample, and found only a tentative correlation between the prompt energy release and the optical afterglow luminosity at 1 day after the GRB in the z = 1 system. A comparative study of the optical luminosities of GRB afterglows with echelle spectra (which show a high number of foreground absorbing systems) and those without, reveals no indication that the former are statistically significantly more luminous. Furthermore, we propose the existence of an upper ceiling on afterglow luminosities and study the luminosity distribution at early times, which was not accessible before the advent of the Swift satellite. Most GRBs feature afterglows that are dominated by the forward shock from early times on. Finally, we present the first indications of a class of long GRBs, which form a bridge between the typical high-luminosity, high-redshift events and nearby low-luminosity events (which are also associated with spectroscopic supernovae) in terms of energetics and observed redshift distribution, indicating a continuous distribution overall.
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| 2. |
- Abt, I, et al.
(author)
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Inclusive V-0 production cross sections from 920 GeV fixed target proton-nucleus collisions
- 2003
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In: European Physical Journal C. Particles and Fields. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-6044. ; 29:2, s. 181-190
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Inclusive differential cross sections dsigma(pA)/dx(F) and dsigma(pA)/dp(t)(2) for the production of K-S(0), Lambda, and (&ULambda;) over bar particles are measured at HERA in proton-induced reactions on C, Al, Ti, and W targets. The incident beam energy is 920 GeV, corresponding to roots = 41.6 GeV in the proton-nucleon system. The ratios of differential cross sections dsigma(pA)(K-S(0))/dsigma(pA)(Lambda) and dsigma(pA)((&ULambda;) over bar)/dsigma(pA) (Lambda) are measured to be 6.2 +/- 0.5 and 0.66 +/- 0.07, respectively, for x(F) approximate to -0.06. No significant dependence upon the target material is observed. Within errors, the slopes of the transverse momentum distributions da,Ald t also show no significant dependence upon the target material. The dependence of the extrapolated total cross sections sigma(pA) on the atomic mass A of the target material is discussed, and the deduced cross sections per nucleon sigma(pN) are compared with results obtained at other energies.
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| 3. |
- Abt, I, et al.
(author)
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Measurement of the b(b)over-bar production cross section in 920 GeV fixed-target proton-nucleus collisions
- 2003
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In: European Physical Journal C. Particles and Fields. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-6044. ; 26:3, s. 345-355
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using the HERA-B detector, the b (b) over bar production cross section has been measured in 920 GeV proton collisions on carbon and titanium targets. The b (b) over bar production was tagged via inclusive bottom quark decays into J/psi by exploiting the longitudinal separation of J/psi --> l(+)l(-) decay vertices from the primary proton-nucleus interaction. Both e(+)e(-) and mu(+)mu(-) channels have been reconstructed and the combined analysis yields the cross section sigma(b (b) over bar) = 32(-12)(+14)(stat) (+6)(-7)(sys) nb/nucleon.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Birkby, J. L., et al.
(author)
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WTS-2 b: a hot Jupiter orbiting near its tidal destruction radius around a K dwarf
- 2014
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In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1365-2966 .- 0035-8711. ; 440:2, s. 1470-1489
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report the discovery of WTS-2 b, an unusually close-in 1.02-d hot Jupiter (M-P = 1.12M(J), R-P = 1.30R(J)) orbiting a K2V star, which has a possible gravitationally bound M-dwarf companion at 0.6 arcsec separation contributing similar to 20 per cent of the total flux in the observed J-band light curve. The planet is only 1.5 times the separation from its host star at which it would be destroyed by Roche lobe overflow, and has a predicted remaining lifetime of just similar to 40 Myr, assuming a tidal dissipation quality factor of Q(*)' = 10(6).Q(*)' is a key factor in determining how frictional processes within a host star affect the orbital evolution of its companion giant planets, but it is currently poorly constrained by observations. We calculate that the orbital decay of WTS-2 b would correspond to a shift in its transit arrival time of T-shift similar to 17 s after 15 yr assuming Q(*)' = 10(6). A shift less than this would place a direct observational constraint on the lower limit of Q(*)' in this system. We also report a correction to the previously published expected T-shift for WASP-18 b, finding that T-shift = 356 s after 10 yr for Q(*)' = 10(6), which is much larger than the estimated 28 s quoted in WASP-18 b discovery paper. We attempted to constrain Q(*)' via a study of the entire population of known transiting hot Jupiters, but our results were inconclusive, requiring a more detailed treatment of transit survey sensitivities at long periods. We conclude that the most informative and straightforward constraints on Q(*)' will be obtained by direct observational measurements of the shift in transit arrival times in individual hot Jupiter systems. We show that this is achievable across the mass spectrum of exoplanet host stars within a decade, and will directly probe the effects of stellar interior structure on tidal dissipation.
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| 6. |
- Stanishev, Vallery, et al.
(author)
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SN 2003du: 480 days in the life of a normal type Ia supernova
- 2007
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 469:2, s. 645-661
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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| 7. |
- Jones, HRA, et al.
(author)
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Status of the physics of substellar objects project
- 2005
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In: Astronomical Notes - Astronomische Nachrichten. - : Wiley. - 0004-6337. ; 326:10, s. 920-924
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A full understanding of the properties of substellar objects is one of the major challenges facing astrophysics. Since their discovery in 1995, hundreds of brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets have been discovered. While these discoveries have enabled important comparisons with theory, observational progress has been much more rapid than the theoretical understanding of cool atmospheres. The reliable determination of mass, abundances, gravities and temperatures is not yet possible. The key problem is that substellar objects emit their observable radiation in the infrared region of the spectrum where our knowledge of atomic, molecular and line broadening data is poor. Here we report on the status of our PoSSO (Physics of SubStellar Objects) project. In order to understand brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets increasing more like those in our solar system, we are studying a wide range of processes. Here we give an update on the project and sketch an outline of atoms, molecules and processes requiring study.
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