| 11. |
- Heng, Kevin, et al.
(author)
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Evolution of the Reverse Shock Emission from SNR 1987A
- 2006
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 644, s. 959-970
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present new (2004 July) G750L and G140L Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) data of the Hα and Lyα emission from supernova remnant (SNR) 1987A. With the aid of earlier data, from 1997 October to 2002 October, we track the local evolution of Lyα emission and both the local and global evolution of Hα emission. The most recent observations allow us to directly compare the Hα and Lyα emission from the same slit position and at the same epoch. Consequently, we find clear evidence that, unlike Hα, Lyα is reflected from the debris by resonant scattering. In addition to emission that we can clearly attribute to the surface of the reverse shock, we also measure comparable emission, in both Hα and Lyα, that appears to emerge from supernova debris interior to the surface. New observations taken through slits positioned slightly eastward and westward of a central slit show a departure from cylindrical symmetry in the Hα surface emission. Using a combination of old and new observations, we construct a light curve of the total Hα flux, F, from the reverse shock, which has increased by a factor of ~4 over about 8 yr. However, due to large systematic uncertainties, we are unable to discern between the two limiting behaviors of the flux: F~t (self-similar expansion) and F~t5 (halting of the reverse shock). Such a determination is important for constraining the rate of hydrogen atoms crossing the shock, which is relevant to the question of whether the reverse shock emission will vanish in <~7 yr. Future deep, low- or moderate-resolution spectra are essential for accomplishing this task.
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| 12. |
- Hoeflich, Peter, et al.
(author)
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The core normal Type Ia supernova 2019np – an overall spherical explosion with an aspherical surface layer and an aspherical 56Ni core
- 2023
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In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 520:1, s. 560-582
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optical spectropolarimetry of the normal thermonuclear supernova (SN) 2019np from −14.5 to +14.5 d relative to B-band maximum detected an intrinsic continuum polarization (pcont) of 0.21 ± 0.09 per cent at the first epoch. Between days −11.5 and +0.5, pcont remained ∼0 and by day +14.5 was again significant at 0.19 ± 0.10 per cent. Not considering the first epoch, the dominant axis of SiII λ6355 was roughly constant staying close the continuum until both rotated in opposite directions on day +14.5. Detailed radiation-hydrodynamical simulations produce a very steep density slope in the outermost ejecta so that the low first-epoch pcont ≈ 0.2 per cent nevertheless suggests a separate structure with an axis ratio ∼2 in the outer carbon-rich (3.5–4) × 10−3 M⊙. Large-amplitude fluctuations in the polarization profiles and a flocculent appearance of the polar diagram for the CaII near-infrared triplet (NIR3) may be related by a common origin. The temporal evolution of the polarization spectra agrees with an off-centre delayed detonation. The late-time increase in polarization and the possible change in position angle are also consistent with an aspherical 56Ni core. The pcont and the absorptions due to SiII λ6355 and CaII NIR3 form in the same region of the extended photosphere, with an interplay between line occultation and thermalization producing p. Small-scale polarization features may be due to small-scale structures, but many could be related to atomic patterns of the quasi-continuum; they hardly have an equivalent in the total-flux spectra. We compare SN 2019np to other SNe and develop future objectives and strategies for SN Ia spectropolarimetry.
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| 13. |
- Krisciunas, Kevin, et al.
(author)
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THE MOST SLOWLY DECLINING TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA 2001ay
- 2011
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In: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-6256 .- 1538-3881. ; 142:3, s. 74-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present optical and near-infrared photometry, as well as ground-based optical spectra and Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet spectra, of the Type Ia supernova (SN) 2001ay. At maximum light the Si II and Mg II lines indicated expansion velocities of 14,000 km s-(1), while Si III and S II showed velocities of 9000 km s(-1). There is also evidence for some unburned carbon at 12,000 km s(-1). SN 2001ay exhibited a decline-rate parameter of Delta m(15)(B) = 0.68 +/- 0.05 mag; this and the B-band photometry at t greater than or similar to + 25 day past maximum make it the most slowly declining Type Ia SN yet discovered. Three of the four super-Chandrasekhar-mass candidates have decline rates almost as slow as this. After correction for Galactic and host-galaxy extinction, SN 2001ay had M(B) = -19.19 and M(V) = -19.17 mag at maximum light; thus, it was not overluminous in optical bands. In near-infrared bands it was overluminous only at the 2 sigma level at most. For a rise time of 18 days (explosion to bolometric maximum) the implied (56)Ni yield was (0.58 +/- 0.15)/alpha M(circle dot), with alpha = L(max)/E(Ni) probably in the range 1.0-1.2. The (56)Ni yield is comparable to that of many Type Ia SNe. The normal (56)Ni yield and the typical peak optical brightness suggest that the very broad optical light curve is explained by the trapping of gamma rays in the inner regions.
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| 14. |
- Kwok, Lindsey A., et al.
(author)
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A JWST Near- and Mid-infrared Nebular Spectrum of the Type Ia Supernova 2021aefx
- 2023
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 944:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present JWST near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopic observations of the nearby normal Type Ia supernova (SN) SN 2021aefx in the nebular phase at +255 days past maximum light. Our Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and Mid Infrared Instrument observations, combined with ground-based optical data from the South African Large Telescope, constitute the first complete optical+NIR+MIR nebular SN Ia spectrum covering 0.3–14 μm. This spectrum unveils the previously unobserved 2.5−5 μm region, revealing strong nebular iron and stable nickel emission, indicative of high-density burning that can constrain the progenitor mass. The data show a significant improvement in sensitivity and resolution compared to previous Spitzer MIR data. We identify numerous NIR and MIR nebular emission lines from iron-group elements as well as lines from the intermediate-mass element argon. The argon lines extend to higher velocities than the iron-group elements, suggesting stratified ejecta that are a hallmark of delayed-detonation or double-detonation SN Ia models. We present fits to simple geometric line profiles to features beyond 1.2 μm and find that most lines are consistent with Gaussian or spherical emission distributions, while the [Ar iii] 8.99 μm line has a distinctively flat-topped profile indicating a thick spherical shell of emission. Using our line profile fits, we investigate the emissivity structure of SN 2021aefx and measure kinematic properties. Continued observations of SN 2021aefx and other SNe Ia with JWST will be transformative to the study of SN Ia composition, ionization structure, density, and temperature, and will provide important constraints on SN Ia progenitor and explosion models.
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| 15. |
- Kwok, Lindsey A., et al.
(author)
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Ground-based and JWST Observations of SN 2022pul. II. Evidence from Nebular Spectroscopy for a Violent Merger in a Peculiar Type Ia Supernova
- 2024
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 966:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present an analysis of ground-based and JWST observations of SN 2022pul, a peculiar "03fg-like" (or "super-Chandrasekhar") Type Ia supernova (SN Ia), in the nebular phase at 338 days postexplosion. Our combined spectrum continuously covers 0.4–14 μm and includes the first mid-infrared spectrum of a 03fg-like SN Ia. Compared to normal SN Ia 2021aefx, SN 2022pul exhibits a lower mean ionization state, asymmetric emission-line profiles, stronger emission from the intermediate-mass elements (IMEs) argon and calcium, weaker emission from iron-group elements (IGEs), and the first unambiguous detection of neon in a SN Ia. A strong, broad, centrally peaked [Ne ii] line at 12.81 μm was previously predicted as a hallmark of "violent merger" SN Ia models, where dynamical interaction between two sub-MCh white dwarfs (WDs) causes disruption of the lower-mass WD and detonation of the other. The violent merger scenario was already a leading hypothesis for 03fg-like SNe Ia; in SN 2022pul it can explain the large-scale ejecta asymmetries seen between the IMEs and IGEs and the central location of narrow oxygen and broad neon. We modify extant models to add clumping of the ejecta to reproduce the optical iron emission better, and add mass in the innermost region (<2000 km s−1) to account for the observed narrow [O i] λλ6300, 6364 emission. A violent WD–WD merger explains many of the observations of SN 2022pul, and our results favor this model interpretation for the subclass of 03fg-like SNe Ia.
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| 16. |
- Michael, Eli, et al.
(author)
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Hubble Space Telescope Observations of High-Velocity Lyα and Hα Emission from Supernova Remnant 1987A : The Structure and Development of the Reverse Shock
- 2003
-
In: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 593, s. 809-830
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present two-dimensional line profiles of high-velocity (~+/-12,000 km s-1) Lyα and Hα emission from supernova remnant 1987A obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph between 1997 September and 2001 September (days 3869-5327 after the explosion). This emission comes from hydrogen in the debris that is excited and ionized as it passes through the remnant's reverse shock. We use these profiles to measure the geometry and development of the reverse-shock surface. The observed emission is confined within ~+/-30° about the remnant's equatorial plane. At the equator, the reverse shock has a radius of ~75% of the distance to the equatorial ring. We detect marginal differences (6%+/-3%) between the location of the reverse-shock front in the northeast and southwest parts of the remnant. The radius of the reverse shock surface increases for latitudes above the equator, a geometry consistent with a model in which the supernova debris expands into a bipolar nebula. Assuming that the outer supernova debris has a power-law density distribution, we can infer from the reverse-shock emission light curve an expansion rate (in the northeast part of the remnant) of 3700+/-900kms-1, consistent with the expansion velocities determined from observations in radio (Manchester et al.) and X-ray (Park et al.; Michael et al.) wavelengths. However, our most recent observation (at day 5327) suggests that the rate of increase of mass flux across the northeast sector of the reverse shock has accelerated, perhaps because of deceleration of the reverse shock caused by the arrival of a reflected shock created when the blast wave struck the inner ring. Resonant scattering within the supernova debris causes Lyα photons created at the reverse shock to be directed preferentially outward, resulting in a factor of ~5 difference in the observed brightness of the reverse shock in Lyα between the near and far sides of the remnant. Accounting for this effect, we compare the observed reverse-shock Lyα and Hα fluxes to infer the amount of interstellar extinction by dust as E(B-V)=0.17+/-0.01 mag. We also notice extinction by dust in the equatorial ring with E(B-V)~0.02-0.08 mag, which implies dust-to-gas ratios similar to that of the LMC. Since Hα photons are optically thin to scattering, the observed asymmetry in brightness of Hα from the near and far sides of the remnant represents a real asymmetry in the mass flux through the reverse shock of ~30%. We discuss future observational strategies that will permit us to further investigate the reverse-shock dynamics and resonant scattering of the Lyα line and to constrain better the extinction by dust within and in front of the remnant.
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| 17. |
- Morokuma, Tomoki, et al.
(author)
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Subaru FOCAS Spectroscopic Observations of High-Redshift Supernovae
- 2010
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In: Nippon Tenmon Gakkai obun kenkyu hokoku. - 0004-6264. ; 62:1, s. 19-37
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present spectra of high-redshift supernovae (SNe) that were taken with the Subaru low-resolution optical spectrograph, FOCAS. These SNe were found in SN surveys with Suprime-Cam on Subaru, the CFH12k camera on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, and the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope. These SN surveys specifically targeted z > 1 Type la supernovae (SNe Ia). From the spectra of 39 candidates, we obtained redshifts for 32 candidates and spectroscopically identified 7 active candidates as probable SNe Ia, including one at z = 1.35, which is the most distant SN la to be spectroscopically confirmed with a ground-based telescope. An additional 4 candidates were identified as likely SNe la from the spectrophotometric properties of their host galaxies. Seven candidates are not SNe la, either being SNe of another type or active galactic nuclei. When SNe la were observed within one week of the maximum light, we found that we could spectroscopically identify most of them up to z = 1.1. Beyond this redshift, very few candidates were spectroscopically identified as SNe Ia. The current generation of super red-sensitive, fringe-free CCDs will push this redshift limit higher.
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| 18. |
- Nabizadeh, Armin, et al.
(author)
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A search for high-redshift direct-collapse black hole candidates in the PEARLS north ecliptic pole field
- 2024
-
In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 683
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Direct-collapse black holes (DCBHs) of mass ∼ 104-105 M⊙ that form in HI-cooling halos in the early Universe are promising progenitors of the greater than or similar to 109 M⊙ supermassive black holes that fuel observed z greater than or similar to 7 quasars. Efficient accretion of the surrounding gas onto such DCBH seeds may render them sufficiently bright for detection with the JWST up to z ≈ 20. Additionally, the very steep and red spectral slope predicted across the ≈ 1-5 μm wavelength range of the JWST/NIRSpec instrument during their initial growth phase should make them photometrically identifiable up to very high redshifts. In this work, we present a search for such DCBH candidates across the 34 arcmin2 in the first two spokes of the JWST cycle-1 PEARLS survey of the north ecliptic pole time-domain field covering eight NIRCam filters down to a maximum depth of ∼ 29 AB mag. We identify two objects with spectral energy distributions consistent with the Pacucci et al. (2016) DCBH models. However, we also note that even with data in eight NIRCam filters, objects of this type remain degenerate with dusty galaxies and obscured active galactic nuclei over a wide range of redshifts. Follow-up spectroscopy would be required to pin down the nature of these objects. Based on our sample of DCBH candidates and assumptions on the typical duration of the DCBH steep-slope state, we set a conservative upper limit of less than or similar to 5x10-4 comoving Mpc-3 (cMpc-3) on the comoving density of host halos capable of hosting DCBHs with spectral energy distributions similar to the Pacucci et al. (2016) models at z ≈ 6-14.
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| 19. |
- Patra, Kishore C., et al.
(author)
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Spectropolarimetry of the Type Ia SN 2019ein rules out significant global asphericity of the ejecta
- 2021
-
In: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 509:3, s. 4058-4070
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Detailed spectropolarimetric studies may hold the key to probing the explosion mechanisms and the progenitor scenarios of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). We present multi-epoch spectropolarimetry and imaging polarimetry of SN 2019ein, an SN Ia showing high expansion velocities at early phases. The spectropolarimetry sequence spans from ∼−11 to +10 d relative to peak brightness in the B band. We find that the level of the continuum polarization of SN 2019ein, after subtracting estimated interstellar polarization, is in the range 0.0–0.3 per cent, typical for SNe Ia. The polarization position angle remains roughly constant before and after the SN light-curve peak, implying that the inner regions share the same axisymmetry as the outer layers. We observe high polarization (∼1 per cent) across both the Si II λ6355 and Ca II near-infrared triplet features. These two lines also display complex polarization modulations. The spectropolarimetric properties of SN 2019ein rule out a significant departure from spherical symmetry of the ejecta for up to a month after the explosion. These observations disfavour merger-induced and double-detonation models for SN 2019ein. The imaging polarimetry shows weak evidence for a modest increase in polarization after ∼20 d since the B-band maximum. If this rise is real and is observed in other SNe Ia at similar phases, we may have seen, for the first time, an aspherical interior similar to what has been previously observed for SNe IIP. Future polarization observations of SNe Ia extending to post-peak epochs will help to examine the inner structure of the explosion.
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| 20. |
- Windhorst, Rogier A., et al.
(author)
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JWST PEARLS. Prime extragalactic areas for reionization and lensing science : project overview and first results
- 2023
-
In: Astronomical Journal. - : Institute of Physics (IOP). - 0004-6256 .- 1538-3881. ; 165:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We give an overview and describe the rationale, methods, and first results from NIRCam images of the JWST “Prime Extragalactic Areas for Reionization and Lensing Science” (PEARLS) project. PEARLS uses up to eight NIRCam filters to survey several prime extragalactic survey areas: two fields at the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP); seven gravitationally lensing clusters; two high redshift protoclusters; and the iconic backlit VV 191 galaxy system to map its dust attenuation. PEARLS also includes NIRISS spectra for one of the NEP fields and NIRSpec spectra of two high-redshift quasars. The main goal of PEARLS is to study the epoch of galaxy assembly, active galactic nucleus (AGN) growth, and First Light. Five fields—the JWST NEP Time-Domain Field (TDF), IRAC Dark Field, and three lensing clusters—will be observed in up to four epochs over a year. The cadence and sensitivity of the imaging data are ideally suited to find faint variable objects such as weak AGN, high-redshift supernovae, and cluster caustic transits. Both NEP fields have sightlines through our Galaxy, providing significant numbers of very faint brown dwarfs whose proper motions can be studied. Observations from the first spoke in the NEP TDF are public. This paper presents our first PEARLS observations, their NIRCam data reduction and analysis, our first object catalogs, the 0.9–4.5 μm galaxy counts and Integrated Galaxy Light. We assess the JWST sky brightness in 13 NIRCam filters, yielding our first constraints to diffuse light at 0.9–4.5 μm. PEARLS is designed to be of lasting benefit to the community.
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