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We spectroscopically confirm the M UV = −20.5 mag galaxy GHZ2/GLASS-z12 to be at redshift z = 12.34. The source was selected via NIRCam photometry in GLASS-JWST Early Release Science data, providing the first evidence of a surprising abundance of bright galaxies at z ≳ 10. The NIRSpec PRISM spectrum shows detections of N iv, C iv, He ii, O iii, C iii, O ii, and Ne iii lines and the first detection at high redshift of the O iii Bowen fluorescence line at 3133 Å rest frame. The prominent C iv line with rest-frame equivalent width (EW) ≈ 46 Å puts GHZ2 in the category of extreme C iv emitters. GHZ2 displays UV lines with EWs that are only found in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) or composite objects at low/intermediate redshifts. The UV line-intensity ratios are compatible with both AGNs and star formation in a low-metallicity environment, with the low limit on the [Ne iv ]/[N iv ] ratio favoring a stellar origin of the ionizing photons. We discuss a possible scenario in which the high ionizing output is due to low-metallicity stars forming in a dense environment. We estimate a metallicity ≲0.1 Z / Z ⊙, a high ionization parameter log U > −2, a N/O abundance 4–5 times the solar value, and a subsolar C/O ratio similar to the recently discovered class of nitrogen-enhanced objects. Considering its abundance patterns and the high stellar mass density (104 M ⊙ pc−2), GHZ2 is an ideal formation site for the progenitors of today's globular clusters. The remarkable brightness of GHZ2 makes it a "Rosetta stone" for understanding the physics of galaxy formation within just 360 Myr after the Big Bang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We observed the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 817 during an intensive multiwavelength reverberation mapping campaign for 16 months. Here, we examine the behavior of narrow UV absorption lines seen in the Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph spectra, both during the campaign and in other epochs extending over 14 yr. We conclude that, while the narrow absorption outflow system (at −3750 km s−1 with FWHM = 177 km s−1) responds to the variations of the UV continuum as modified by the X-ray obscurer, its total column density (log N H = 19.5 − 0.13 + 0.61 cm−2) did not change across all epochs. The adjusted ionization parameter (scaled with respect to the variations in the hydrogen-ionizing continuum flux) is log U H = −1.0 − 0.3 + 0.1 . The outflow is located at a distance smaller than 38 pc from the central source, which implies a hydrogen density of n H > 3000 cm−3. The absorption outflow system only covers the continuum emission source and not the broad emission line region, which suggests that its transverse size is small (< 1016 cm), with potential cloud geometries ranging from spherical to elongated along the line of sight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galaxy-cluster gravitational lenses enable the study of faint galaxies even at large lookback times, and, recently, time-delay constraints on the Hubble constant. There have been few tests, however, of lens model predictions adjacent to the critical curve (≲8″) where the magnification is greatest. In a companion paper, we use the GLAFIC lens model to constrain the Balmer L – σ relation for H ii regions in a galaxy at redshift z = 1.49 strongly lensed by the MACS J1149 galaxy cluster. Here we perform a detailed comparison between the predictions of 10 cluster lens models that employ multiple modeling assumptions with our measurements of 11 magnified, giant H ii regions. We find that that the models predict magnifications an average factor of 6.2 smaller, a ∼2 σ tension, than that inferred from the H ii regions under the assumption that they follow the low-redshift L – σ relation. To evaluate the possibility that the lens model magnifications are strongly biased, we next consider the flux ratios among knots in three images of Sp1149, and find that these are consistent with model predictions. Moreover, while the mass-sheet degeneracy could in principle account for a factor of ∼6 discrepancy in magnification, the value of H 0 inferred from SN Refsdal's time delay would become implausibly small. We conclude that the lens models are not likely to be highly biased, and that instead the H ii regions in Sp1149 are substantially more luminous than the low-redshift Balmer L – σ relation predicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the discovery and analysis of SN 2022oqm, a Type Ic supernova (SN) detected <1 day after the explosion. The SN rises to a blue and short-lived (2 days) initial peak. Early-time spectral observations of SN 2022oqm show a hot (40,000 K) continuum with high ionization C and O absorption features at velocities of 4000 km s−1, while its photospheric radius expands at 20,000 km s−1, indicating a pre-existing distribution of expanding C/O material. After ∼2.5 days, both the spectrum and light curves evolve into those of a typical SN Ic, with line velocities of ∼10,000 km s−1, in agreement with the evolution of the photospheric radius. The optical light curves reach a second peak at t ≈ 15 days. By t = 60 days, the spectrum of SN 2022oqm becomes nearly nebular, displaying strong Ca ii and [Ca ii ] emission with no detectable [O i ], marking this event as Ca-rich. The early behavior can be explained by 10−3 M ⊙ of optically thin circumstellar material (CSM) surrounding either (1) a massive compact progenitor such as a Wolf–Rayet star, (2) a massive stripped progenitor with an extended envelope, or (3) a binary system with a white dwarf. We propose that the early-time light curve is powered by both the interaction of the ejecta with the optically thin CSM and shock cooling (in the massive star scenario). The observations can be explained by CSM that is optically thick to X-ray photons, is optically thick in the lines as seen in the spectra, and is optically thin to visible-light continuum photons that come either from downscattered X-rays or from the shock-heated ejecta. Calculations show that this scenario is self-consistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have conducted photometric and spectroscopic observations of the peculiar Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2016ije that was discovered through the Tsinghua-NAOC Transient Survey. This peculiar object exploded in the outskirts of a metal-poor, low-surface brightness galaxy (i.e., M g = −14.5 mag). Our photometric analysis reveals that SN 2016ije is subluminous ( M B , max = −17.65 ± 0.06 mag) but exhibits relatively broad light curves (Δ m 15(B) = 1.35 ± 0.14 mag), similar to the behavior of SN 2002es. Our analysis of the bolometric light curve indicates that only 0.14 ± 0.04 M ⊙ of 56Ni was synthesized in the explosion of SN 2016ije, which suggests a less energetic thermonuclear explosion when compared to normal SNe Ia, and this left a considerable amount of unburned materials in the ejecta. Spectroscopically, SN 2016ije resembles other SN 2002es-like SNe Ia, except that the ejecta velocity inferred from its carbon absorption line (∼4500 km s−1) is much lower than that from silicon lines (∼8300 km s−1) at around the maximum light. Additionally, most of the absorption lines are broader than other 02es-like SNe Ia. These peculiarities suggest the presence of significant unburned carbon in the inner region and a wide line-forming region along the line of sight. These characteristics suggest that SN 2016ije might originate from the violent merger of a white dwarf binary system, when viewed near an orientation along the iron-group-element cavity caused by the companion star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In late 2014, four images of supernova (SN) "Refsdal," the first known example of a strongly lensed SN with multiple resolved images, were detected in the MACS J1149 galaxy-cluster field. Following the images' discovery, the SN was predicted to reappear within hundreds of days at a new position ∼8″ away in the field. The observed reappearance in late 2015 makes it possible to carry out Refsdal's original proposal to use a multiply imaged SN to measure the Hubble constant H 0, since the time delay between appearances should vary inversely with H 0. Moreover, the position, brightness, and timing of the reappearance enable a novel test of the blind predictions of galaxy-cluster models, which are typically constrained only by the positions of multiply imaged galaxies. We have developed a new photometry pipeline that uses DOLPHOT to measure the fluxes of the five images of SN Refsdal from difference images. We apply four separate techniques to perform a blind measurement of the relative time delays and magnification ratios between the last image SX and the earlier images S1–S4. We measure the relative time delay of SX–S1 to be 376.0 − 5.5 + 5.6 days and the relative magnification to be 0.30 − 0.3 + 0.5 . This corresponds to a 1.5% precision on the time delay and 17% precision for the magnification ratios and includes uncertainties due to millilensing and microlensing. In an accompanying paper, we place initial and blind constraints on the value of the Hubble constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We combine our dynamical modeling black-hole mass measurements from the Lick AGN Monitoring Project 2016 sample with measured cross-correlation time lags and line widths to recover individual scale factors, f, used in traditional reverberation-mapping analyses. We extend our sample by including prior results from Code for AGN Reverberation and Modeling of Emission Lines (caramel) studies that have utilized our methods. Aiming to improve the precision of black-hole mass estimates, as well as uncover any regularities in the behavior of the broad-line region (BLR), we search for correlations between f and other AGN/BLR parameters. We find (i) evidence for a correlation between the virial coefficient log 10 (f mean , σ) and black-hole mass, (ii) marginal evidence for a similar correlation between log 10 (f rms , σ) and black-hole mass, (iii) marginal evidence for an anticorrelation of BLR disk thickness with log 10 (f mean , FWHM) and log 10 (f rms , FWHM) , and (iv) marginal evidence for an anticorrelation of inclination angle with log 10 (f mean , FWHM) , log 10 (f rms , σ) , and log 10 (f mean , σ). Last, we find marginal evidence for a correlation between line-profile shape, when using the root-mean-square spectrum, log 10 (FWHM / σ) rms , and the virial coefficient, log 10 (f rms , σ) , and investigate how BLR properties might be related to line-profile shape using caramel models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present three epochs of early-time ultraviolet (UV) and optical HST/STIS spectroscopy of the young, nearby Type IIP supernova (SN) 2021yja. We complement the HST data with two earlier epochs of Swift UVOT spectroscopy. The HST and Swift UVOT spectra are consistent with those of other well-studied Type IIP SNe. The UV spectra exhibit rapid cooling at early times, while less dramatic changes are seen in the optical. We also present Lick/KAIT optical photometry up to the late-time tail phase, showing a very long plateau and shallow decline compared with other SNe IIP. Our modeling of the UV spectrum with the TARDIS radiative transfer code produces a good fit for a high-velocity explosion, a low total extinction E (B âˆ' V) = 0.07 mag, and a subsolar metallicity. We do not find a significant contribution to the UV flux from an additional heating source, such as interaction with the circumstellar medium, consistent with the observed flat plateau. Furthermore, the velocity width of the Mg ii λ 2798 line is comparable to that of the hydrogen Balmer lines, suggesting that the UV emission is confined to a region close to the photosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present observations of the extremely luminous but ambiguous nuclear transient (ANT) ASASSN-17jz, spanning roughly 1200 days of the object’s evolution. ASASSN-17jz was discovered by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) in the galaxy SDSS J171955.84+414049.4 on UT 2017 July 27 at a redshift of z = 0.1641. The transient peaked at an absolute B -band magnitude of M B,peak = âˆ'22.81, corresponding to a bolometric luminosity of L bol,peak = 8.3 Ă— 1044 erg sâˆ'1, and exhibited late-time ultraviolet emission that was still ongoing in our latest observations. Integrating the full light curve gives a total emitted energy of E tot = (1.36 ±0.08) Ă— 1052 erg, with (0.80 ± 0.02) Ă— 1052 erg of this emitted within 200 days of peak light. This late-time ultraviolet emission is accompanied by increasing X-ray emission that becomes softer as it brightens. ASASSN-17jz exhibited a large number of spectral emission lines most commonly seen in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with little evidence of evolution. It also showed transient Balmer features, which became fainter and broader over time, and are still being detected >1000 days after peak brightness. We consider various physical scenarios for the origin of the transient, including supernovae (SNe), tidal disruption events, AGN outbursts, and ANTs. We find that the most likely explanation is that ASASSN-17jz was a SN IIn occurring in or near the disk of an existing AGN, and that the late-time emission is caused by the AGN transitioning to a more active state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have modeled the velocity-resolved reverberation response of the H β broad emission line in nine Seyfert 1 galaxies from the Lick Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) Monitoring Project 2016 sample, drawing inferences on the geometry and structure of the low-ionization broad-line region (BLR) and the mass of the central supermassive black hole. Overall, we find that the H β BLR is generally a thick disk viewed at low to moderate inclination angles. We combine our sample with prior studies and investigate line-profile shape dependence, such as log 10 (FWHM / σ) , on BLR structure and kinematics and search for any BLR luminosity-dependent trends. We find marginal evidence for an anticorrelation between the profile shape of the broad H β emission line and the Eddington ratio, when using the rms spectrum. However, we do not find any luminosity-dependent trends, and conclude that AGNs have diverse BLR structure and kinematics, consistent with the hypothesis of transient AGN/BLR conditions rather than systematic trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We carried out spectroscopic monitoring of 21 low-redshift Seyfert 1 galaxies using the Kast double spectrograph on the 3 m Shane telescope at Lick Observatory from 2016 April to 2017 May. Targeting active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with luminosities of λ L λ (5100 Ă...) ≈ 1044 erg sâˆ'1 and predicted H β lags of ∼20â€"30 days or black hole masses of 107â€"108.5 M ⊙, our campaign probes luminosity-dependent trends in broad-line region (BLR) structure and dynamics as well as to improve calibrations for single-epoch estimates of quasar black hole masses. Here we present the first results from the campaign, including H β emission-line light curves, integrated H β lag times (8â€"30 days) measured against V -band continuum light curves, velocity-resolved reverberation lags, line widths of the broad H β components, and virial black hole mass estimates (107.1â€"108.1 M ⊙). Our results add significantly to the number of existing velocity-resolved lag measurements and reveal a diversity of BLR gas kinematics at moderately high AGN luminosities. AGN continuum luminosity appears not to be correlated with the type of kinematics that its BLR gas may exhibit. Follow-up direct modeling of this data set will elucidate the detailed kinematics and provide robust dynamical black hole masses for several objects in this sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of a high-cadence spectroscopic and imaging monitoring campaign of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) of NGC 4395. High signal-to-noise-ratio spectra were obtained at the Gemini-N 8 m telescope using the GMOS integral field spectrograph (IFS) on 2019 March 7 and at the Keck I 10 m telescope using the Low-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer with slit masks on 2019 March 3 and April 2. Photometric data were obtained with a number of 1 m-class telescopes during the same nights. The narrow-line region (NLR) is spatially resolved; therefore, its variable contributions to the slit spectra make the standard procedure of relative flux calibration impractical. We demonstrate that spatially resolved data from the IFS can be effectively used to correct the slit-mask spectral light curves. While we obtained no reliable lag owing to the lack of a strong variability pattern in the light curves, we constrain the broad-line time lag to be less than 3 hr, consistent with the photometric lag of ∼80 minutes reported by Woo et al. By exploiting the high-quality spectra, we measure the second moment of the broad component of the H α emission line to be 586 ± 19 km sâˆ'1, superseding the lower value reported by Woo et al. Combining the revised line dispersion and the photometric time lag, we update the black hole mass to (1.7 ± 0.3) Ă— 104 M ⊙. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present optical and infrared (IR) light curves of NaSt1, also known as Wolfâ€"Rayet 122, with observations from Palomar Gattini-IR (PGIR), the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), the Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope, the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, and the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN). We identify a P = 309.7 ± 0.7 day photometric period from the optical and IR light curves that reveal periodic, sinusoidal variability between 2014 July and 2021 July. We also present historical IR light curves taken between 1983 July and 1989 May, which show variability consistent with the period of the present-day light curves. In the past, NaSt1 was brighter in the J band with larger variability amplitudes than the present-day PGIR values, suggesting that NaSt1 exhibits variability on longer (≳decade) timescales. Sinusoidal fits to the recent optical and IR light curves show that the amplitude of NaSt1's variability differs at various wavelengths and also reveal significant phase offsets of 17.0 ± 2.5 day between the ZTF r and PGIR J light curves. We interpret the 310 day photometric period from NaSt1 as the orbital period of an enshrouded massive binary. We suggest that the photometric variability of NaSt1 may arise from variations in the line-of-sight optical depth toward circumstellar optical/IR-emitting regions throughout its orbit due to colliding-wind dust formation. We speculate that past mass transfer in NaSt1 may have been triggered by Roche-lobe overflow (RLOF) during an eruptive phase of an Ofpe/WN9 star. Lastly, we argue that NaSt1 is no longer undergoing RLOF mass transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present extensive optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of the high-velocity (HV) Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2017fgc, covering the phase from ∼12 days before to ∼389 days after maximum brightness. SN 2017fgc is similar to normal SNe Ia, with an absolute peak magnitude of −19.32 ± 0.13 mag and a post-peak decline of Δm15(B) = 1.05 ± 0.07 mag. Its peak bolometric luminosity is derived as (1.32 ± 0.13) × 1043 erg s−1, corresponding to a 56Ni mass of 0.51 ± 0.03 M⊙. The light curves of SN 2017fgc are found to exhibit excess emission in the UBV bands in the early nebular phase and pronounced secondary shoulder/maximum features in the RrIi bands. Its spectral evolution is similar to that of HV SNe Ia, with a maximum-light Si ii velocity of 15,000 ± 150 km s−1 and a post-peak velocity gradient of ∼120 ± 10 km s−1 day−1. The Fe ii and Mg ii lines blended near 4300 Å and the Fe ii , Si ii , and Fe iii lines blended near 4800 Å are obviously stronger than those of normal SNe Ia. Inspecting a large sample reveals that the strength of the two blends in the spectra, and the secondary peak in the i/r-band light curves, are found to be positively correlated with the maximum-light Si ii velocity. Such correlations indicate that HV SNe Ia may experience more complete burning in the ejecta and/or that their progenitors have higher metallicity. Examining the birthplace environment of SN 2017fgc suggests that it likely arose from a stellar environment with young and high-metallicity populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present new, yet final, mid-infrared (mid-IR) data for supernovae (SNe) based on measurements with the Spitzer Space Telescope. Comparing our recent 3.6 and 4.5 μm photometry with previously published mid-IR and further multiwavelength data sets, we were able to draw some conclusions about the origin and heating mechanism of the dust in these SNe or in their environments, as well as about possible connection with circumstellar matter (CSM) originating from pre-explosion mass-loss events in the progenitor stars. We also present new results regarding both certain SN classes and single objects. We highlight the mid-IR homogeneity of SNe Ia-CSM, which may be a hint of their common progenitor type and of their basically uniform circumstellar environments. Regarding single objects, it is worth highlighting the late-time interacting Type Ib SNe 2003gk and 2004dk, for which we present the first-ever mid-IR data, which seem to be consistent with clues of ongoing CSM interaction detected in other wavelength ranges. Our current study suggests that long-term mid-IR follow-up observations play a key role in a better understanding of both pre- and post-explosion processes in SNe and their environments. While Spitzer is not available anymore, the expected unique data from the James Webb Space Telescope, as well as long-term near-IR follow-up observations of dusty SNe, can bring us closer to the hidden details of this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ASASSN-14ms may represent the most luminous Type Ibn supernova (SN Ibn) ever detected, with an absolute U-band magnitude brighter than −22.0 mag and a total bolometric luminosity >1.0 × 1044 erg s−1 near maximum light. The early-time spectra of this SN are characterized by a blue continuum on which are superimposed narrow P Cygni profile lines of He i , suggesting the presence of slowly moving (∼1000 km s−1), He-rich circumstellar material (CSM). At 1–2 months after maximum brightness, the He i line profiles become only slightly broader, with blueshifted velocities of 2000–3000 km s−1, consistent with the CSM shell being continuously accelerated by the SN light and ejecta. Like most SNe Ibn, the light curves of ASASSN-14ms show rapid post-peak evolution, dropping by ∼7 mag in the V band over three months. Such a rapid post-peak decline and high luminosity can be explained by interaction between SN ejecta and helium-rich CSM of 0.9 M⊙ at a distance of ∼1015 cm. The CSM around ASASSN-14ms is estimated to originate from a pre-explosion event with a mass-loss rate of 6.7 M⊙ yr−1 (assuming a velocity of ∼1000 km s−1), which is consistent with abundant He-rich material violently ejected during the late Wolf–Rayet (WN9-11 or Opfe) stage. After examining the light curves for a sample of SNe Ibn, we find that the more luminous ones tend to have slower post-peak decline rates, reflecting that the observed differences may arise primarily from discrepancies in the CSM distribution around the massive progenitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive archival Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Large Binocular Telescope imaging of the recent intermediate-luminosity transient, AT 2019krl in M74, reveal a bright optical and mid-infrared progenitor star. While the optical peak of the event was missed, a peak was detected in the infrared with an absolute magnitude of M4.5 μm = −18.4 mag, leading us to infer a visual-wavelength peak absolute magnitude of −13.5 to −14.5. The pre-discovery light curve indicated no outbursts over the previous 16 yr. The colors, magnitudes, and inferred temperatures of the progenitor best match a 13–14 M⊙ yellow or blue supergiant (BSG) if only foreground extinction is taken into account, or a hotter and more massive star if any additional local extinction is included. A pre-eruption spectrum of the star reveals strong Hα and [N ii ] emission with wings extending to ±2000 km s−1. The post-eruption spectrum is fairly flat and featureless with only Hα, Na i D, [Ca ii ], and the Ca ii triplet in emission. As in many previous intermediate-luminosity transients, AT 2019krl shows remarkable observational similarities to luminous blue variable (LBV) giant eruptions, SN 2008S-like events, and massive-star mergers. However, the information about the pre-eruption star favors either a relatively unobscured BSG or a more extinguished LBV with M > 20 M⊙ likely viewed pole-on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the results of ultraviolet (UV) and optical photometric and spectroscopic analysis of the tidal disruption event (TDE) AT 2019qiz. Our follow-up observations started <10 days after the source began to brighten in the optical and lasted for a period of six months. Our late-time host-dominated spectrum indicates that the host galaxy likely harbors a weak active galactic nucleus. The initial Hubble Space Telescope (HST) spectrum of AT 2019qiz exhibits an iron and low-ionization broad absorption line (FeLoBAL) system that is seen for the first time in a TDE. This spectrum also bears a striking resemblance to that of Gaia16apd, a superluminous supernova. Our observations provide insights into the outflow properties in TDEs and show evidence for a connection between TDEs and engine-powered supernovae at early phases, as originally suggested by Metzger & Stone. In a time frame of 50 days, the UV spectra of AT 2019qiz started to resemble those of previous TDEs with only high-ionization broad absorption lines. The change in UV spectral signatures is accompanied by a decrease in the outflow velocity, which began at 15,000 km s−1 and decelerated to ∼10,000 km s−1. A similar evolution in the Hα emission-line width further supports the speculation that the broad Balmer emission lines are formed in TDE outflows. In addition, we detect narrow absorption features on top of the FeLoBAL signatures in the early HST UV spectrum of AT 2019qiz. The measured H i column density corresponds to a Lyman-limit system, whereas the metal absorption lines (such as N v , C iv , Fe ii , and Mg ii) are likely probing the circumnuclear gas and interstellar medium in the host galaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interaction-powered supernovae (SNe) explode within an optically thick circumstellar medium (CSM) that could be ejected during eruptive events. To identify and characterize such pre-explosion outbursts, we produce forced-photometry light curves for 196 interacting SNe, mostly of Type IIn, detected by the Zwicky Transient Facility between early 2018 and 2020 June. Extensive tests demonstrate that we only expect a few false detections among the 70,000 analyzed pre-explosion images after applying quality cuts and bias corrections. We detect precursor eruptions prior to 18 Type IIn SNe and prior to the Type Ibn SN 2019uo. Precursors become brighter and more frequent in the last months before the SN and month-long outbursts brighter than magnitude −13 occur prior to 25% (5–69%, 95% confidence range) of all Type IIn SNe within the final three months before the explosion. With radiative energies of up to 1049 erg, precursors could eject ∼1 M⊙ of material. Nevertheless, SNe with detected precursors are not significantly more luminous than other SNe IIn, and the characteristic narrow hydrogen lines in their spectra typically originate from earlier, undetected mass-loss events. The long precursor durations require ongoing energy injection, and they could, for example, be powered by interaction or by a continuum-driven wind. Instabilities during the neon- and oxygen-burning phases are predicted to launch precursors in the final years to months before the explosion; however, the brightest precursor is 100 times more energetic than anticipated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a public catalog of transients from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) Bright Transient Survey, a magnitude-limited (m < 19 mag in either the g or r filter) survey for extragalactic transients in the ZTF public stream. We introduce cuts on survey coverage, sky visibility around peak light, and other properties unconnected to the nature of the transient, and show that the resulting statistical sample is spectroscopically 97% complete at <18 mag, 93% complete at <18.5 mag, and 75% complete at <19 mag. We summarize the fundamental properties of this population, identifying distinct duration–luminosity correlations in a variety of supernova (SN) classes and associating the majority of fast optical transients with well-established spectroscopic SN types (primarily SN Ibn and II/IIb). We measure the Type Ia SN and core-collapse (CC) SN rates and luminosity functions, which show good consistency with recent work. About 7% of CC SNe explode in very low-luminosity galaxies (Mi > −16 mag), 10% in red-sequence galaxies, and 1% in massive ellipticals. We find no significant difference in the luminosity or color distributions between the host galaxies of SNe Type II and SNe Type Ib/c, suggesting that line-driven wind stripping does not play a major role in the loss of the hydrogen envelope from their progenitors. Future large-scale classification efforts with ZTF and other wide-area surveys will provide high-quality measurements of the rates, properties, and environments of all known types of optical transients and limits on the existence of theoretically predicted but as yet unobserved explosions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the photometry and spectra of the "redback" millisecond pulsar binary J2339−0533. These observations include new measurements from Keck and the Gamma-Ray Burst Optical/Near-infrared Detector (GROND), as well as archival measurements from the Optical and Infrared Synergetic Telescopes for Education and Research (OISTER), WIYN, Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR), and Hobby–Eberly Telescope (HET) telescopes. The parameters derived from GROND, our primary photometric data, describe well the rest of the data sets, raising our confidence in our fitted binary properties. Our fit requires hot spots (likely magnetic poles) on the surface of the companion star, and we see evidence that these spots move over the 8 yr span of our photometry. The derived binary inclination i = 69.°3 ± 2.°3, together with the center-of-mass velocity (from the radial-velocity fits) KC = 347.0 ± 3.7 , give a fairly typical neutron star mass of 1.47 ± 0.09 M⊙. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a test of the statistical method introduced by Bernard F. Shutz in 1986 using only gravitational waves to infer the Hubble constant (H0) from GW190814, the first high-probability neutron-star–black hole (NS–BH) merger candidate detected by the Laser Interferometer gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and the Virgo interferometer. We apply a baseline test of this method to the binary neutron star (BNS) merger GW170817 and find km s−1 Mpc−1 (maximum a posteriori and 68.3% highest density posterior interval) for a galaxy B-band luminosity threshold of with a correction for catalog incompleteness. Repeating the calculation for GW190814, we obtain km s−1 Mpc−1 and km s−1 Mpc−1 for and , respectively. Combining the posteriors for both events yields km s−1 Mpc−1, demonstrating the improvement on constraints when using multiple gravitational-wave events. We also confirm the results of other works that adopt this method, showing that increasing the LB threshold enhances the posterior structure and slightly shifts the distribution's peak to higher H0 values.We repeat the joint inference using the low-spin PhenomPNRT and the newly available combined (SEOBNRv4PHM + IMRPhenomPv3HM) posterior samples for GW170817 and GW190814, respectively, achieving a tighter constraint of km s−1 Mpc−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present very early ground-based optical follow-up observations of gamma-ray burst (GRB) 140423A, which was discovered by the Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) and by the Fermi/Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor. Its broadband afterglow was monitored by the Swift/X-Ray Telescope and ground-based optical telescopes from T0 + 70.96 s to 4.8 days after the Swift/BAT trigger. This is one more case of a prompt optical emission observation. The temporal and spectral joint fits of the multiwavelength light curves of GRB 140423A reveal that achromatic behavior is consistent with the external shock model, including a transition from a stellar wind to the interstellar medium (ISM) and energy injection. In terms of the optical light curves, there is an onset bump in the early afterglow with a rising index (peaking at s). It then decays with a steep index , and shows a steeper to flatter "transition" with at around T0 + 5000 s. The observed X-ray afterglow reflects achromatic behavior, as does the optical light curve. There is no obvious evolution of the spectral energy distribution between the X-ray and optical afterglows, with an average value of the photon index. This "transition" is consistent with an external shock model having the circumburst medium transition from a wind to the ISM, by introducing a long-lasting energy injection with a Lorentz factor stratification of the ejecta. The best parameters from Monte Carlo Markov Chain fitting are erg, , , , , cm, , , , , and. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-ray burst (GRB) 150910A was detected by Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT), and then rapidly observed by Swift/XRT, Swift/Ultraviolet-Optical Telescope, and ground-based telescopes. We report Lick Observatory spectroscopic and photometric observations of GRB 150910A, and we investigate the physical origins of both the optical and X-ray afterglows, incorporating data obtained with BAT and XRT. The light curves show that the jet-emission episode lasts ∼360 s with a sharp pulse from BAT to XRT (Episode I). In Episode II, the optical emission has a smooth onset bump followed by a normal decay (αR,2 ≈ −1.36), as predicted in the standard external shock model, while the X-ray emission exhibits a plateau (αX,1 ≈ −0.36) followed by a steep decay (αX,2 ≈ −2.12). The light curves show obvious chromatic behavior with an excess in the X-ray flux. Our results suggest that GRB 150910A is an unusual GRB driven by a newly born magnetar with its extremely energetic magnetic dipole (MD) wind in Episode II, which overwhelmingly dominates the observed early X-ray plateau. The radiative efficiency of the jet prompt emission is ηγ ≈ 11%. The MD wind emission was detected in both the BAT and XRT bands, making it the brightest among the current sample of MD winds seen by XRT. We infer the initial spin period (P0) and the surface polar cap magnetic field strength (Bp) of the magnetar as 1.02 × 1015 G ≤ Bp ≤ 1.80 × 1015 G and 1 ms ≤ P0v ≤ 1.77 ms, and the radiative efficiency of the wind is ηw ≥ 32%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SN 2007D is a nearby (redshift z = 0.023146), luminous Type Ic supernova (SN) having a narrow light curve (LC) and high peak luminosity. Previous research based on the assumption that it was powered by the 56Ni cascade decay suggested that the inferred 56Ni mass and the ejecta mass are ∼1.5 M⊙ and ∼3.5 M⊙, respectively. In this paper, we employ some multiband LC models to model the R-band LC and the color (V − R) evolution of SN 2007D to investigate the possible energy sources powering them. We find that the pure 56Ni model is disfavored; the multiband LCs of SN 2007D can be reproduced by a magnetar whose initial rotational period P0 and magnetic field strength Bp are (or) ms and (or) G, respectively. By comparing the spectrum of SN 2007D with that of some superluminous SNe (SLSNe), we find that it might be a luminous SN like several luminous "gap-filler" optical transients that bridge ordinary and SLSNe, rather than a genuine SLSN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and ground-based optical and near-infrared observations of SN 2005hk and SN 2008A, typical members of the Type Iax class of supernovae (SNe). Here we focus on late-time observations, where these objects deviate most dramatically from all other SN types. Instead of the dominant nebular emission lines that are observed in other SNe at late phases, spectra of SNe 2005hk and 2008A show lines of Fe II, Ca II, and Fe I more than a year past maximum light, along with narrow [Fe II] and [Ca II] emission. We use spectral features to constrain the temperature and density of the ejecta, and find high densities at late times, with ne ≳ 109 cm–3. Such high densities should yield enhanced cooling of the ejecta, making these objects good candidates to observe the expected “infrared catastrophe,” a generic feature of SN Ia models. However, our HST photometry of SN 2008A does not match the predictions of an infrared catastrophe. Moreover, our HST observations rule out a “complete deflagration” that fully disrupts the white dwarf for these peculiar SNe, showing no evidence for unburned material at late times. Deflagration explosion models that leave behind a bound remnant can match some of the observed properties of SNe Iax, but no published model is consistent with all of our observations of SNe 2005hk and 2008A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use a newly developed observing mode on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Wide Field Camera 3, spatial scanning, to increase source sampling a thousand-fold and measure changes in source positions to a precision of 20-40 μas, more than an order of magnitude better than attainable in pointed observations. This observing mode can usefully measure the parallaxes of bright stars at distances of up to 5 kpc, a factor of 10 farther than achieved thus far with HST. The technique should also provide a unique crosscheck of future parallax measurements from Gaia. Long-period classical Cepheid variable stars in the Milky Way, nearly all of which reside beyond 1 kpc, are especially compelling targets for parallax measurements from scanning, as they may be used to anchor a determination of the Hubble constant to ∼1%. We illustrate the method by measuring to high precision the parallax of a classical Cepheid, SY Aurigae, at a distance of more than 2 kpc, using five epochs of spatial-scan data obtained at intervals of six months. Rapid spatial scans also enable photometric measurements of bright Milky Way Cepheids—which would otherwise saturate even in the shortest possible pointed observations—on the same flux scale as extragalactic Cepheids, which is a necessity for reducing a leading source of systematic error in the Hubble constant. We demonstrate this capability with photometric measurements of SY Aur on the same system used for Cepheids in Type Ia supernova host galaxies. While the technique and results presented here are preliminary, an ongoing program with HST is collecting such parallax measurements for another 18 Cepheids to produce a better anchor for the distance scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some supernovae (SNe) may be powered by the interaction of the SN ejecta with a large amount of circumstellar matter (CSM). However, quantitative estimates of the CSM mass around such SNe are missing when the CSM material is optically thick. Specifically, current estimators are sensitive to uncertainties regarding the CSM density profile and the ejecta velocity. Here we outline a method to measure the mass of the optically thick CSM around such SNe. We present new visible-light and X-ray observations of SN 2010jl (PTF 10aaxf), including the first detection of an SN in the hard X-ray band using NuSTAR. The total radiated luminosity of SN 2010jl is extreme—at least 9 × 1050 erg. By modeling the visible-light data, we robustly show that the mass of the circumstellar material within ∼1016 cm of the progenitor of SN 2010jl was in excess of 10 M☼. This mass was likely ejected tens of years prior to the SN explosion. Our modeling suggests that the shock velocity during shock breakout was ∼6000 km s–1, decelerating to ∼2600 km s–1 about 2 yr after maximum light. Furthermore, our late-time NuSTAR and XMM spectra of the SN presumably provide the first direct measurement of SN shock velocity 2 yr after the SN maximum light—measured to be in the range of 2000-4500 km s–1 if the ions and electrons are in equilibrium, and ≳ 2000 km s–1 if they are not in equilibrium. This measurement is in agreement with the shock velocity predicted by our modeling of the visible-light data. Our observations also show that the average radial density distribution of the CSM roughly follows an r–2 law. A possible explanation for the ≳ 10 M☼ of CSM and the wind-like profile is that they are the result of multiple pulsational pair instability events prior to the SN explosion, separated from each other by years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report measurements and analysis of high-velocity (HVF) (>20,000 km s–1) and photospheric absorption features in a series of spectra of the Type Ia supernova (SN) 2009ig obtained between –14 days and +13 days with respect to the time of maximum B-band luminosity (B-max). We identify lines of Si II, Si III, S II, Ca II, and Fe II that produce both HVF and photospheric-velocity (PVF) absorption features. SN 2009ig is unusual for the large number of lines with detectable HVF in the spectra, but the light-curve parameters correspond to a slightly overluminous but unexceptional SN Ia (MB = –19.46 mag and Δm15(B) = 0.90 mag). Similarly, the Si II λ6355 velocity at the time of B-max is greater than “normal” for an SN Ia, but it is not extreme (vSi = 13,400 km s–1). The –14 days and –13 days spectra clearly resolve HVF from Si II λ6355 as separate absorptions from a detached line forming region. At these very early phases, detached HVF are prevalent in all lines. From –12 days to –6 days, HVF and PVF are detected simultaneously, and the two line forming regions maintain a constant separation of about 8000 km s–1. After –6 days all absorption features are PVF. The observations of SN 2009ig provide a complete picture of the transition from HVF to PVF. Most SNe Ia show evidence for HVF from multiple lines in spectra obtained before –10 days, and we compare the spectra of SN 2009ig to observations of other SNe. We show that each of the unusual line profiles for Si II λ6355 found in early-time spectra of SNe Ia correlate to a specific phase in a common development sequence from HVF to PVF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on our analysis using Hubble Space Telescope astrometry and Keck-I HIRES spectroscopy of the central six stars of Tycho's supernova remnant (SN 1572). With these data, we measured the proper motions, radial velocities, rotational velocities, and chemical abundances of these objects. Regarding the chemical abundances, we do not confirm the unusually high [Ni/Fe] ratio previously reported for Tycho-G. Rather, we find that for all metrics in all stars, none exhibit the characteristics expected from traditional Type Ia supernova single-degenerate-scenario calculations. The only possible exception is Tycho-B, a rare, metal-poor A-type star; however, we are unable to find a suitable scenario for it. Thus, we suggest that SN 1572 cannot be explained by the standard single-degenerate model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PTF11kx was a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) that showed time-variable absorption features, including saturated Ca II H and K lines that weakened and eventually went into emission. The strength of the emission component of Ha gradually increased, implying that the SN was undergoing significant interaction with its circumstellar medium (CSM). These features, and many others, were blueshifted slightly and showed a P-Cygni profile, likely indicating that the CSM was directly related to, and probably previously ejected by, the progenitor system itself. These and other observations led Dilday et al. to conclude that PTF11kx came from a symbiotic nova progenitor like RS Oph. In this work we extend the spectral coverage of PTF11kx to 124-680 rest-frame days past maximum brightness. The late-time spectra of PTF11kx are dominated by Ha emission (with widths of full width at half-maximum intensity ≈2000 km s-1), strong Ca ii emission features (~10,000 km s-1 wide), and a blue "quasi-continuum" due to many overlapping narrow lines of Fe ii. Emission from oxygen, He I, and Balmer lines higher than Ha is weak or completely absent at all epochs, leading to large observed Hα/Hβ intensity ratios. The Ha emission appears to increase in strength with time for ~1 yr, but it subsequently decreases significantly along with the Ca ii emission. Our latest spectrum also indicates the possibility of newly formed dust in the system as evidenced by a slight decrease in the red wing of Ha. During the same epochs, multiple narrow emission features from the CSM temporally vary in strength. The weakening of the Ha and Ca II emission at late times is possible evidence that the SN ejecta have overtaken the majority of the CSM and agrees with models of other strongly interacting SNe Ia. The varying narrow emission features, on the other hand, may indicate that the CSM is clumpy or consists of multiple thin shells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) of the transient source PTF11agg, which is distinguished by three primary characteristics: (1) bright (Rpeak = 18.3mag), rapidly fading (ΔR = 4mag inΔt = 2 days) optical transient emission; (2) a faint (R = 26.2 ± 0.2mag), blue (g' − R = 0.17 ± 0.29 mag)quiescent optical counterpart; and (3) an associated year-long, scintillating radio transient. We argue that the seobserved properties are inconsistent with any known class of Galactic transients (flare stars, X-ray binaries, dwarf novae), and instead suggest a cosmological origin. The detection of incoherent radio emission at such distance simplies a large emitting region, from which we infer the presence of relativistic ejecta. The observed properties areall consistent with the population of long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), marking the first time such an outburst has been discovered in the distant universe independent of a high-energy trigger. We searched for possible high energy counter parts to PTF11agg, but found no evidence for associated prompt emission. We therefore consider three possible scenarios to account for a GRB-like after glow without a high-energy counterpart: an “untriggered”GRB (lack of satellite coverage), an “orphan” afterglow (viewing-angle effects), and a “dirty fireball” (suppressed high-energy emission). The observed optical and radio light curves appear inconsistent with even the most basic predictions for off-axis afterglow models. The simplest explanation, then, is that PTF11agg is a normal, on-axislong-duration GRB for which the associated high-energy emission was simplymissed. However, we have calculated the likelihood of such a serendipitous discovery by PTF and find that it is quite small (≈2.6%). While not definitive,we nonetheless speculate that PTF11agg may represent a new, more common (>4 times the on-axis GRB rate at 90% confidence) class of relativistic outbursts lacking associated high-energy emission. If so, such sources will be uncovered in large numbers by future wide-field optical and radio transient surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prominent broad Fe II emission blends in the spectra of active galactic nuclei have been shown to vary inresponse to continuum variations, but past attempts to measure the reverberation lag time of the optical Fe II lines have met with only limited success. Here we report the detection of Fe ii reverberation in two Seyfert 1 galaxies, NGC 4593 and Mrk 1511, based on data from a program carried out at Lick Observatory in Spring 2011. Light curves for emission lines including Hβ and Fe II were measured by applying a fitting routine to decompose the spectra into several continuum and emission-line components, and we use cross-correlation techniques to determine the reverberation lags of the emission lines relative to V-band light curves. In both cases, the measured lag (τcen) of Fe II is longer than that of Hβ, although the inferred lags are somewhat sensitive to the choice of Fe II template used in the fit. For spectral decompositions done using the Fe II template of V´eron-Cetty et al., we find τcen(Fe II)/τcen(Hβ) = 1.9±0.6 in NGC 4593 and 1.5±0.3 in Mrk 1511. The detection of highly correlated variations between Fe II and continuum emission demonstrates that the Fe II emission in these galaxies originatesin photoionized gas, located predominantly in the outer portion of the broad-line region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the discovery of a Type Ia supernova (SN) at redshift z = 1.914 from the CANDELS multi-cycle treasury program on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This SN was discovered in the infrared using the Wide- Field Camera 3, and it is the highest-redshift Type Ia SN yet observed. We classify this object as a SN Ia by comparing its light curve and spectrum with those of a large sample of Type Ia and core-collapse SNe. Its apparent magnitude is consistent with that expected from the ΛCDM concordance cosmology.We discuss the use of spectral evidence for classification of z > 1.5 SNe Ia using HST grism simulations, finding that spectral data alone can frequently rule out SNe II, but distinguishing between SNe Ia and SNe Ib/c can require prohibitively long exposures. In such cases, a quantitative analysis of the light curve may be necessary for classification. Our photometric and spectroscopic classification methods can aid the determination of SN rates and cosmological parameters from the full high-redshift CANDELS SN sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an updated and revised analysis of the relationship between the Hβ broad-line region (BLR) radius and the luminosity of the active galactic nucleus (AGN). Specifically, we have carried out two-dimensional surface brightness decompositions of the host galaxies of nine new AGNs imaged with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3. The surface brightness decompositions allow us to create "AGN-free" images of the galaxies, from which we measure the starlight contribution to the optical luminosity measured through the ground-based spectroscopic aperture. We also incorporate 20 new reverberation-mapping measurements of the Hβ time lag, which is assumed to yield the average Hβ BLR radius. The final sample includes 41 AGNs covering four orders of magnitude in luminosity. The additions and updates incorporated here primarily affect the low-luminosity end of the RBLR-L relationship. The best fit to the relationship using a Bayesian analysis finds a slope of α = 0.533+0.035 -0.033, consistent with previous work and with simple photoionization arguments. Only two AGNs appear to be outliers from the relationship, but both of them have monitoring light curves that raise doubt regarding the accuracy of their reported time lags. The scatter around the relationship is found to be 0.19±0.02 dex, but would be decreased to 0.13 dex by the removal of these two suspect measurements. A large fraction of the remaining scatter in the relationship is likely due to the inaccurate distances to theAGNhost galaxies.Our results help support the possibility that the RBLR-L relationship could potentially be used to turn the BLRs of AGNs into standardizable candles. This would allow the cosmological expansion of the universe to be probed by a separate population of objects, and over a larger range of redshifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy and photometry of four Type Ia supernovae (SNe 2004dt, 2004ef, 2005M, and 2005cf) obtained with the UV prism of the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope. This data set provides unique spectral time series down to 2000Å. Significant diversity is seen in the near-maximum-light spectra (~2000-3500Å) for this small sample. The corresponding photometric data, together with archival data from Swift Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope observations, provide further evidence of increased dispersion in the UV emission with respect to the optical. The peak luminosities measured in the uvw1/F250W filter are found to correlate with the B-band light-curve shape parameter Δm15(B), but with much larger scatter relative to the correlation in the broadband B band (e.g., ~0.4 mag versus ~0.2 mag for those with 0.8 mag <Δm 15(B) < 1.7 mag). SN 2004dt is found as an outlier of this correlation (at>3σs), being brighter than normal SNe Ia such as SN 2005cf by ~0.9m a g and ~2.0 mag in the uvw1/F250W and uvm2/F220W filters, respectively. We show that different progenitor metallicity or line-expansion velocities alone cannot explain such a large discrepancy. Viewing-angle effects, such as due to an asymmetric explosion, may have a significant influence on the flux emitted in the UV region. Detailed modeling is needed to disentangle and quantify the above effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the calibration and uncertainties of black hole (BH) mass estimates based on the single-epoch (SE) method, using homogeneous and high-quality multi-epoch spectra obtained by the Lick Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) Monitoring Project for nine local Seyfert 1 galaxies with BH masses <108 M⊙. By decomposing the spectra into their AGNs and stellar components, we study the variability of the SE Hβ line width (full width at half-maximum intensity, FWHMHβ or dispersion, σHβ) and of the AGN continuum luminosity at 5100Å (L5100). From the distribution of the "virial products" (∝ FWHMHβ² L51000.5 or σHβ² L51000.5) measured from SE spectra, we estimate the uncertainty due to the combined variability as ~0.05 dex (12%). This is subdominant with respect to the total uncertainty in SE mass estimates, which is dominated by uncertainties in the size-luminosity relation and virial coefficient, and is estimated to be ~0.46 dex (factor of ~3). By comparing the Hβ line profile of the SE, mean, and root-mean-square (rms) spectra, we find that the Hβ line is broader in the mean (and SE) spectra than in the rms spectra by ~0.1 dex (25%) for our sample with FWHMHβ < 3000 km s-1. This result is at variance with larger mass BHs where the difference is typically found to be much less than 0.1 dex. To correct for this systematic difference of the Hβ line profile, we introduce a line-width dependent virial factor, resulting in a recalibration of SE BH mass estimators for low-mass AGNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery of a Type la supernova (SN Ia) at redshift z = 1.55 with the infrared detector of the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3-IR) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This object was discovered in CANDELS imaging data of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field and followed as part of the CANDELS+CLASH Supernova project, comprising the SN search components from those two HST multi-cycle treasury programs. This is the highest redshift SN Ia with direct spectroscopic evidence for classification. It is also the first SN Ia at z > 1 found and followed in the infrared, providing a full light curve in rest-frame optical bands. The classification and redshift are securely defined from a combination of multi-band and multi-epoch photometry of the SN, ground-based spectroscopy of the host galaxy, and WFC3-IR grism spectroscopy of both the SN and host. This object is the first of a projected sample at z > 1.5 that will be discovered by the CANDELS and CLASH programs. The full CANDELS+CLASH SN Ia sample will enable unique tests for evolutionary effects that could arise due to differences in SN Ia progenitor systems as a function of redshift. This high-z sample will also allow measurement of the SN Ia rate out to z ≈ 2, providing a complementary constraint on SN Ia progenitor models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present early- and late-time photometric and spectroscopic observations of supernova (SN) 2009hd in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 3627 (M66). This SN is one of the closest to us in recent years and provides an uncommon opportunity to observe and study the nature of SNe. However, the object was heavily obscured by dust, rendering it unusually faint in the optical given its proximity. We find that the observed properties of SN 2009hd support its classification as a possible Type II-Linear SN (SN II-L), a relatively rare subclass of core-collapse SNe. High-precision relative astrometry has been employed to attempt to identify an SN progenitor candidate, based on a pixel-by-pixel comparison between Hubble Space Telescope (HST) F555W and F814W images of the SN site prior to explosion and at late times. A progenitor candidate is identified in the F814W images only; this object is undetected in F555W. Significant uncertainty exists in the astrometry, such that we cannot definitively identify this object as the SN progenitor. Via insertion of artificial stars into the pre-SN HST images, we are able to constrain the progenitor's properties to those of a possible supergiant, with intrinsic absolute magnitude Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed. and intrinsic color (V - I)0 ≿ 0.99 mag. The magnitude and color limits are consistent with a luminous red supergiant (RSG); however, they also allow for the possibility that the star could have been more yellow than red. From a comparison with theoretical massive-star evolutionary tracks which include rotation and pulsationally enhanced mass loss, we can place a conservative upper limit on the initial mass for the progenitor of Mini ≾ 20 M⊙. If the actual mass of the progenitor is near the upper range allowed by our derived mass limit, then it would be consistent with that for the identified progenitors of the SN II-L 2009kr and the high-luminosity SN II-Plateau (II-P) 2008cn. The progenitors of these three SNe may possibly bridge the gap between lower-mass RSGs that explode as SNe II-P and luminous blue variables, or more extreme RSGs, from which the more exotic SNe II-narrow may arise. Very late time imaging of the SN 2009hd site may provide us with more clues regarding the true nature of its progenitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent observations suggest that Type IIn supernovae (SNe IIn) may exhibit late-time (> 100 days) infrared (IR) emission from warm dust more than other types of core-collapse SNe. Mid-IR observations, which span the peak of the thermal spectral energy distribution, provide useful constraints on the properties of the dust and, ultimately, the circumstellar environment, explosion mechanism, and progenitor system. Due to the low SN IIn rate (<10% of all core-collapse SNe), few IR observations exist for this subclass. The handful of isolated studies, however, show late-time IR emission from warm dust that, in some cases, extends for five or six years post-discovery. While previous Spitzer/IRAC surveys have searched for dust in SNe, none have targeted the Type IIn subclass. This paper presents results from a warm Spitzer/IRAC survey of the positions of all 68 known SNe IIn within a distance of 250 Mpc between 1999 and 2008 that have remained unobserved by Spitzer more than 100 days post-discovery. The detection of late-time emission from 10 targets (~15%) nearly doubles the database of existing mid-IR observations of SNe IIn. Although optical spectra show evidence for new dust formation in some cases, the data show that in most cases the likely origin of the mid-IR emission is pre-existing dust, which is continuously heated by optical emission generated by ongoing circumstellar interaction between the forward shock and circumstellar medium. Furthermore, an emerging trend suggests that these SNe decline at ~1000-2000 days post-discovery once the forward shock overruns the dust shell. The mass-loss rates associated with these dust shells are consistent with luminous blue variable progenitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a chemical abundance analysis of the secondary star in the black hole binary V404 Cygni, using Keck I/High Resolution Spectrometer. We adopt a χ²-minimization procedure to derive the stellar parameters, taking into account any possible veiling from the accretion disk. With these parameters we determine the atmospheric abundances of O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, Fe, and Ni. The abundances of Al, Si, and Ti appear to be slightly enhanced when comparing with average values in thin-disk solar-type stars. The O abundance, derived from optical lines, is particularly enhanced in the atmosphere of the secondary star in V404 Cygni. This, together with the peculiar velocity of this system as compared with the Galactic velocity dispersion of thin-disk stars, suggests that the black hole formed in a supernova (SN) or hypernova (HN) explosion. We explore different SN/HN models having various geometries to study possible contamination of nucleosynthetic products in the chemical abundance pattern of the secondary star. We find reasonable agreement between the observed abundances and the model predictions. However, the O abundance seems to be too high regardless of the choice of explosion energy or mass cut, when trying to fit other element abundances. Moreover, Mg appears to be underabundant for all explosion models, which produces Mg abundances roughly two times higher than the observed value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is an optical wide-field variability survey carried out using a camera with a 7.8 deg² field of view mounted on the 48 inch Oschin Schmidt telescope at Palomar Observatory, One of the key goals of this survey is to conduct high-cadence monitoring of the sky in order to detect optical transient sources shortly after they occur. Here, we describe the real-time capabilities of the PTF and our related rapid multiwavelength follow-up programs, extending from the radio to the γ-ray bands. We present as a case study observations of the optical transient PTFlOvdl (SN 201()id), revealed to be a very young core-collapse (Type II-P) supernova having a remarkably low luminosity. Our results demonstrate that the PTF now provides for optical transients the realtime discovery and rapid-response follow-up capabilities previously reserved only for high-energy transients like gamma-ray bursts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]