Search

We present a time series of 8-13µm spectra and photometry for SN 2014J obtained 57, 81, 108, and 137 days after the explosion using CanariCam on the Gran Telescopio Canarias. This is the first mid-IR time series ever obtained for a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia). These observations can be understood within the framework of the delayed detonation model and the production of ~0.6Mʘ of 56Ni, consistent with the observed brightness, the brightness decline relation, and the γ -ray fluxes. The [Co III] line at 11.888µm is particularly useful for evaluating the time evolution of the photosphere and measuring the amount of 56Ni and thus the mass of the ejecta. Late-time line profiles of SN 2014J are rather symmetric and not shifted in the rest frame. We see argon emission, which provides a unique probe of mixing in the transition layer between incomplete burning and nuclear statistical equilibrium. We may see [Fe III] and [Ni IV] emission, both of which are observed to be substantially stronger than indicated by our models. If the latter identification is correct, then we are likely observing stable Ni, which might imply central mixing. In addition, electron capture, also required for stable Ni, requires densities larger than ~1 x 109 g cm-3, which are expected to be present only in white dwarfs close to the Chandrasekhar limit. This study demonstrates that mid-IR studies of SNe Ia are feasible from the ground and provide unique information, but it also indicates the need for better atomic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using two-dimensional and three-dimensional simulations, we study the "robustness" of the double detonation scenario for Type Ia supernovae, in which a detonation in the helium shell of a carbon-oxygen white dwarf induces a secondary detonation in the underlying core. We find that a helium detonation cannot easily descend into the core unless it commences (artificially) well above the hottest layer calculated for the helium shell in current presupernova models. Compressional waves induced by the sliding helium detonation, however, robustly generate hot spots which trigger a detonation in the core. Our simulations show that this is true even for non-axisymmetric initial conditions. If the helium is ignited at multiple points, then the internal waves can pass through one another or be reflected, but this added complexity does not defeat the generation of the hot spot. The ignition of very low-mass helium shells depends on whether a thermonuclear runaway can simultaneously commence in a sufficiently large region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, it has been suggested that the metallicity aversion of Long-duration Gamma Ray Bursts (LGRBs) is not intrinsic to their formation, but rather a consequence of the anti-correlation between star formation and metallicity seen in the general galaxy population. To investigate this proposal, we compare the metallicity of the hosts of LGRBs, broad-lined Type Ic (Ic-bl) supernovae (SNe), and Type II SNe to each other and to the metallicity distribution of star-forming galaxies using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to represent galaxies in the local universe and the Team Keck Redshift Survey (TKRS) for galaxies at intermediate redshifts. The differing metallicity distributions of LGRB hosts and the star formation in local galaxies forces us to conclude that the low-metallicity preference of LGRBs is not primarily driven by the anti-correlation between star formation and metallicity, but rather must be overwhelmingly due to the astrophysics of the LGRBs themselves. Three quarters of our LGRB sample are found at metallicities below 12+log(O/H)<8.6, while less than a one-tenth of local star formation is at similarly low metallicities. However, our SN samples are statistically consistent with the metallicity distribution of the general galaxy population. Additionally, we show that the star formation rate distribution of the LGRB and SNe host populations are consistent with the star formation rate distribution of the SDSS galaxy sample. This provides further evidence that the low-metallicity distribution of LGRBs is not caused by the general properties of star-forming galaxies. Using the TKRS population of galaxies, we can exclude the possibility that the LGRB host metallicity aversion is caused by the decrease in galaxy metallicity with redshift, as this effect is clearly much smaller than the observed LGRB host metallicity bias over the redshift span of our sample. The presence of the strong metallicity difference between LGRBs and Type Ic-bl SNe largely eliminates the possibility that the observed LGRB metallicity bias is a byproduct of a difference in the initial mass functions of the galaxy populations. Rather, metallicity below half-solar must be a fundamental component of the evolutionary process that separates LGRBs from the vast majority of Type Ic-bl SNe and from the bulk of local star formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectrum of radiation emitted following shock breakout from a star's surface with a power-law density profile ρ α xn is investigated. Assuming planar geometry, local Compton equilibrium, and bremsstrahlung emission as the dominant photon production mechanism, numerical solutions are obtained for the photon number density and temperature profiles as a function of time for hydrogen-helium envelopes. The temperature solutions are determined by the breakout shock velocity υ0 and the pre-shock breakout density ρ0 and depend weakly on the value of n. Fitting formulae for the peak surface temperature at breakout as a function of υ0 and ρ0 are provided, with Tpeak ≈ 9.44 exp [12.63(υ0/c)1/2] eV, and the time dependence of the surface temperature is tabulated. The time integrated emitted spectrum is a robust prediction of the model, determined by Tpeak and υ0 alone and insensitive to details of light travel time or slight deviations from spherical symmetry. Adopting commonly assumed progenitor parameters, breakout luminosities of ≈1045 erg s-1 and ≈1044 erg s-1 in the 0.3-10 keV band are expected for blue supergiant (BSG) and red supergiant (RSG)/He-WR progenitors, respectively (Tpeak is well below the band for RSGs, unless their radius is ~1013 cm). >30 detections of SN 1987A-like (BSG) breakouts are expected over the lifetime of ROSAT and XMM-Newton. An absence of such detections would imply either that the typical parameters assumed for BSG progenitors are grossly incorrect or that their envelopes are not hydrostatic. The observed spectrum and duration of XRF 080109/SN 2008D are in tension with a non-relativistic breakout from a stellar surface interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We perform numerical experiments to investigate the influence of inelastic neutrino reactions with light nuclei on the standing accretion shock instability (SASI). The time evolution of shock waves is calculated with a simple light-bulb approximation for the neutrino transport and a multi-nuclei equation of state. The neutrino absorptions and inelastic interactions with deuterons, tritons, helions, and alpha particles are taken into account in the hydrodynamical simulations. In addition, the effects of ordinary charged-current interactions with nucleons is addressed in the simulations. Axial symmetry is assumed but no equatorial symmetry is imposed. We show that the heating rates of deuterons reach as high as ~10% of those of nucleons around the bottom of the gain region. On the other hand, alpha particles are heated near the shock wave, which is important when the shock wave expands and the density and temperature of matter become low. It is also found that the models with heating by light nuclei evolve differently in the non-linear phase of SASI than do models that lack heating by light nuclei. This result is because matter in the gain region has a varying density and temperature and therefore sub-regions appear that are locally rich in deuterons and alpha particles. Although the light nuclei are never dominant heating sources and they work favorably for shock revival in some cases and unfavorably in other cases, they are non-negligible and warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All stellar evolution models for nucleosynthesis require an initial isotopic abundance set to use as a starting point. Generally, our knowledge of isotopic abundances of stars is fairly incomplete except for the Sun. We present a first model for a complete average isotopic decomposition as a function of metallicity. Our model is based on the underlying nuclear astrophysics processes, and is fitted to observational data, rather than traditional forward galactic chemical evolution modeling which integrates stellar yields beginning from big bang nucleosynthesis. We first decompose the isotopic solar abundance pattern into contributions from astrophysical sources. Each contribution is then assumed to scale as a function of metallicity. The resulting total isotopic abundances are summed into elemental abundances and fitted to available halo and disk stellar data to constrain the model?s free parameter values. This procedure allows us to use available elemental observational data to reconstruct and constrain both the much needed complete isotopic evolution that is not accessible to current observations, and the underlying astrophysical processes. As an example, our model finds a best fit for Type Ia contributing ≃0.7 to the solar Fe abundance, and Type Ia onset occurring at [Fe/H] ≃ -1.1, in agreement with typical values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first primitive galaxies formed from accretion and mergers by z ~ 15, and were primarily responsible for cosmological reionization and the chemical enrichment of the early cosmos. But a few of these galaxies may have formed in the presence of strong Lyman-Werner UV fluxes that sterilized them of H2, preventing them from forming stars or expelling heavy elements into the intergalactic medium prior to assembly. At masses of 108M☉ and virial temperatures of 104 K, these halos began to rapidly cool by atomic lines, perhaps forming 104-106M☉ Pop III stars and, later, the seeds of supermassive black holes. We have modeled the explosion of a supermassive Pop III star in the dense core of a line-cooled protogalaxy with the ZEUS-MP code. We find that the supernova (SN) expands to a radius of ~1 kpc, briefly engulfing the entire galaxy, but then collapses back into the potential well of the dark matter. Fallback fully mixes the interior of the protogalaxy with metals, igniting a violent starburst and fueling the rapid growth of a massive black hole at its center. The starburst would populate the protogalaxy with stars in greater numbers and at higher metallicities than in more slowly evolving, nearby halos. The SN remnant becomes a strong synchrotron source that can be observed with eVLA and eMERLIN and has a unique signature that easily distinguishes it from less energetic SN remnants. Such explosions, and their attendant starbursts, may well have marked the birthplaces of supermassive black holes on the sky. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present extensive multi-wavelength observations of the extremely rapidly declining Type Ic supernova (SN Ic), SN 2005ek. Reaching a peak magnitude of MR = -17.3 and decaying by ~3 mag in the first 15 days post-maximum, SN 2005ek is among the fastest Type I supernovae observed to date. The spectra of SN 2005ek closely resemble those of normal SN Ic, but with an accelerated evolution. There is evidence for the onset of nebular features at only nine days post-maximum. Spectroscopic modeling reveals an ejecta mass of ~0.3M☉ that is dominated by oxygen (~80%), while the pseudo-bolometric light curve is consistent with an explosion powered by ~0.03M☉ of radioactive 56Ni. Although previous rapidly evolving events (e.g., SN 1885A, SN 1939B, SN 2002bj, SN 2010X) were hypothesized to be produced by the detonation of a helium shell on a white dwarf, oxygen-dominated ejecta are difficult to reconcile with this proposed mechanism. We find that the properties of SN 2005ek are consistent with either the edge-lit double detonation of a low-mass white dwarf or the iron-core collapse of a massive star, stripped by binary interaction. However, if we assume that the strong spectroscopic similarity of SN 2005ek to other SNe Ic is an indication of a similar progenitor channel, then a white-dwarf progenitor becomes very improbable. SN 2005ek may be one of the lowest mass stripped-envelope core-collapse explosions ever observed. We find that the rate of such rapidly declining Type I events is at least 1%-3% of the normal SN Ia rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the version of the single-degenerate scenario of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) studied here, a carbon-oxygen white dwarf explodes close to the Chandrasekhar limit after accreting material from a non-degenerate helium (He) companion star. In the present study, we employ the Stellar GADGET code to perform three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of the interaction of the SN Ia ejecta with the He companion star taking into account its orbital motion and spin. It is found that only 2%-5% of the initial companion mass is stripped off from the outer layers of He companion stars due to the supernova (SN) impact. The dependence of the unbound mass (or the kick velocity) on the orbital separation can be fitted to a good approximation by a power law for a given companion model. After the SN impact, the outer layers of a He donor star are significantly enriched with heavy elements from the low-expansion-velocity tail of SN Ia ejecta. The total mass of accumulated SN-ejecta material on the companion surface reaches about ≳10-3Mʘ for different companion models. This enrichment with heavy elements provides a potential way to observationally identify the surviving companion star in SN remnants. Finally, by artificially adjusting the explosion energy of the W7 explosion model, we find that the total accumulation of SN ejecta on the companion surface is also dependent on the explosion energy with a power-law relation to a good approximation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Material ejected during (or immediately following) the merger of two neutron stars may assemble into heavy elements through the r-process. The subsequent radioactive decay of the nuclei can power transient electromagnetic emission similar to, but significantly dimmer than, an ordinary supernova. Identifying such events is an important goal of future optical surveys, offering new perspectives on the origin of r-process nuclei and the astrophysical sources of gravitational waves. Predictions of the transient light curves and spectra, however, have suffered from the uncertain optical properties of heavy ions. Here we argue that the opacity of an expanding r-process material is dominated by bound-bound transitions from those ions with the most complex valence electron structure, namely the lanthanides. For a few representative ions, we run atomic structure models to calculate the radiative transition rates for tens of millions of lines. The resulting r-process opacities are orders of magnitude larger than that of ordinary (e.g., iron-rich) supernova ejecta. Radiative transport calculations using these new opacities suggest that the light curves should be longer, dimmer, and redder than previously thought. The spectra appear to be pseudoblackbody, with broad absorption features, and peak in the infrared (~1 μm). We discuss uncertainties in the opacities and attempt to quantify their impact on the spectral predictions. The results have important implications for observational strategies to find and study the radioactively powered electromagnetic counterparts to neutron star mergers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the currently available equations of state for core-collapse supernova simulations give large neutron star radii and do not provide large enough neutron star masses, both of which are inconsistent with some recent neutron star observations. In addition, one of the critical uncertainties in the nucleon-nucleon interaction, the nuclear symmetry energy, is not fully explored by the currently available equations of state. In this article, we construct two new equations of state which match recent neutron star observations and provide more flexibility in studying the dependence on nuclear matter properties. The equations of state are also provided in tabular form, covering a wide range in density, temperature, and asymmetry, suitable for astrophysical simulations. These new equations of state are implemented into our spherically symmetric core-collapse supernova model, which is based on general relativistic radiation hydrodynamics with three-flavor Boltzmann neutrino transport. The results are compared with commonly used equations of state in supernova simulations of 11.2 and 40Mʘ progenitors. We consider only equations of state which are fitted to nuclear binding energies and other experimental and observational constraints. We find that central densities at bounce are weakly correlated with L and that there is a moderate influence of the symmetry energy on the evolution of the electron fraction. The new models also obey the previously observed correlation between the time to black hole formation and the maximum mass of an s = 4 neutron star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We perform two-dimensional axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations of matter mixing in aspherical core-collapse supernova explosions of a 16.3M⊙ star with a compact hydrogen envelope. Observations of SN1987A have provided evidence that 56Ni synthesized by explosive nucleosynthesis is mixed into fast moving matter (≳3500 km s−1) in the exploding star. In order to clarify the key conditions for reproducing such high velocity of 56Ni, we revisit matter mixing in aspherical core-collapse supernova explosions. Explosions are initiated artificially by injecting thermal and kinetic energies around the interface between the iron core and the silicon-rich layer. Perturbations of 5% or 30% amplitude in the radial velocities are introduced at several points in time. We find that no high velocity 56Ni can be obtained if we consider bipolar explosions with perturbations (5% amplitude) of pre-supernova origins. If large perturbations (30% amplitude) are introduced or exist due to some unknown mechanism in a later phase just before the shock wave reaches the hydrogen envelope, 56Ni with a velocity of 3000 km s−1 can be obtained. Aspherical explosions that are asymmetric across the equatorial plane with clumpy structures in the initial shock waves are investigated. We find that the clump sizes affect the penetration of 56Ni. Finally, we report that an aspherical explosion model that is asymmetric across the equatorial plane with multiple perturbations of pre-supernova origins can cause the penetration of 56Ni clumps into fast moving matter of 3000 km s−1. We show that both aspherical explosions with clumpy structures and perturbations of pre-supernova origins may be necessary to reproduce the observed high velocity of 56Ni. To confirm this, more robust three-dimensional simulations are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) play a crucial role as standardizable cosmological candles, though the nature of their progenitors is a subject of active investigation. Recent observational and theoretical work has pointed to merging white dwarf binaries, referred to as the double-degenerate channel, as the possible progenitor systems for some SNe Ia. Additionally, recent theoretical work suggests that mergers which fail to detonate may produce magnetized, rapidly rotating white dwarfs. In this paper, we present the first multidimensional simulations of the post-merger evolution of white dwarf binaries to include the effect of the magnetic field. In these systems, the two white dwarfs complete a final merger on a dynamical timescale, and are tidally disrupted, producing a rapidly rotating white dwarf merger surrounded by a hot corona and a thick, differentially rotating disk. The disk is strongly susceptible to the magnetorotational instability (MRI), and we demonstrate that this leads to the rapid growth of an initially dynamically weak magnetic field in the disk, the spin-down of the white dwarf merger, and to the subsequent central ignition of the white dwarf merger. Additionally, these magnetized models exhibit new features not present in prior hydrodynamic studies of white dwarf mergers, including the development of MRI turbulence in the hot disk, magnetized outflows carrying a significant fraction of the disk mass, and the magnetization of the white dwarf merger to field strengths ∼2 × 108 G. We discuss the impact of our findings on the origins, circumstellar media, and observed properties of SNe Ia and magnetized white dwarfs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a robust, quantitative method to compare the synthetic light curves of a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) explosionmodel with a large set of observed SNe Ia, and derive a figure ofmerit for the explosionmodel's agreement with observations. The synthetic light curves are fit with the data-driven model SALT2 which returns values for stretch, color, and magnitude at peak brightness, as well as a goodness-of-fit parameter. Each fit is performed multiple times with different choices of filter bands and epoch range in order to quantify the systematic uncertainty on the fitted parameters. We use a parametric population model for the distribution of observed SN Ia parameters from large surveys, and extend it to represent red, dim, and bright outliers found in a low-redshift SN Ia data set.We discuss the potential uncertainties of this population model and find it to be reliable given the current uncertainties on cosmological parameters. Using our population model, we assign each set of fitted parameters a likelihood of being observed in nature, and a figure of merit based on this likelihood. We define a second figure of merit based on the quality of the light curve fit, and combine the two measures into an overall figure of merit for each explosion model. We compute figures of merit for a variety of one-, two-, and three-dimensional explosion models and show that our evaluation method allows meaningful inferences across a wide range of light curve quality and fitted parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the dynamics of accelerating normal shocks in stratified planar atmospheres, providing accurate fitting formulae for the scaling index relating shock velocity to the initial density and for the post-shock acceleration factor as functions of the polytropic and adiabatic indices which parameterize the problem. In the limit of a uniform initial atmosphere, there are analytical formulae for these quantities. In the opposite limit of a very steep density gradient, the solutions match the outcome of shock acceleration in exponential atmospheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present fits of generalized semi-analytic supernova (SN) light curve (LC) models for a variety of power inputs including 56Ni and 56Co radioactive decay, magnetar spin-down, and forward and reverse shock heating due to supernova ejecta-circumstellar matter (CSM) interaction. We apply our models to the observed LCs of the H-rich superluminous supernovae (SLSN-II) SN 2006gy, SN 2006tf, SN 2008am, SN 2008es, CSS100217, the H-poor SLSN-I SN 2005ap, SCP06F6, SN 2007bi, SN 2010gx, and SN 2010kd, as well as to the interacting SN 2008iy and PTF 09uj. Our goal is to determine the dominant mechanism that powers the LCs of these extraordinary events and the physical conditions involved in each case.We also present a comparison of our semi-analytical results with recent results from numerical radiation hydrodynamics calculations in the particular case of SN 2006gy in order to explore the strengths and weaknesses of our models. We find that CS shock heating produced by ejecta-CSM interaction provides a better fit to the LCs of most of the events we examine.We discuss the possibility that collision of supernova ejecta with hydrogen-deficient CSM accounts for some of the hydrogen-deficient SLSNe (SLSN-I) and may be a plausible explanation for the explosion mechanism of SN 2007bi, the pair-instability supernova candidate. We characterize and discuss issues of parameter degeneracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progenitor systems of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are still under debate. Based on recent hydrodynamics simulations, non-degenerate companions in the single-degenerate scenario (SDS) should survive the supernova (SN) impact. One way to distinguish between the SDS and the double-degenerate scenario is to search for the postimpact remnant stars (PIRSs) in SN Ia remnants. Using a technique that combines multi-dimensional hydrodynamics simulations with one-dimensional stellar evolution simulations, we have examined the post-impact evolution of helium-rich binary companions in the SDS. It is found that these helium-rich PIRSs (He PIRSs) dramatically expand and evolve to a luminous phase (L ~ 104 L☉) about 10 yr after an SN explosion. Subsequently, they contract and evolve to become hot blue-subdwarf-like (sdO-like) stars by releasing gravitational energy, persisting as sdO-like stars for several million years before evolving to the helium red-giant phase. We therefore predict that a luminous OB-like star should be detectable within ~30 yr after the SN explosion. Thereafter, it will shrink and become an sdO-like star in the central regions of SN Ia remnants within star-forming regions for SN Ia progenitors evolved via the helium-star channel in the SDS. These He PIRSs are predicted to be rapidly rotating (vrot ≳ 50 km s-1) and to have high spatial velocities (vlinear ≳ 500 km s-1). Furthermore, if SN remnants have diffused away and are not recognizable at a later stage, He PIRSs could be an additional source of single sdO stars and/or hypervelocity stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first release of optical spectroscopic data of low-redshift Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) by the Carnegie Supernova Project including 604 previously unpublished spectra of 93 SNe Ia. The observations cover a range of phases from 12 days before to over 150 days after the time of B-band maximum light. With the addition of 228 near-maximum spectra from the literature, we study the diversity among SNe Ia in a quantitative manner. For that purpose, spectroscopic parameters are employed such as expansion velocities from spectral line blueshifts and pseudo-equivalent widths (pW). The values of those parameters at maximum light are obtained for 78 objects, thus providing a characterization of SNe Ia that may help to improve our understanding of the properties of the exploding systems and the thermonuclear flame propagation. Two objects, namely, SNe 2005M and 2006is, stand out from the sample by showing peculiar Si ii and S ii velocities but otherwise standard velocities for the rest of the ions. We further study the correlations between spectroscopic and photometric parameters such as light-curve decline rate and color. In agreement with previous studies, we find that the pW of Si ii absorption features are very good indicators of light-curve decline rate. Furthermore, we demonstrate that parameters such as pW2 (Si ii 4130) and pW6 (Si ii 5972) provide precise calibrations of the peak B-band luminosity with dispersions of ≈0.15 mag. In the search for a secondary parameter in the calibration of peak luminosity for SNe Ia, we find a ≈2σ-3σ correlation between B-band Hubble residuals and the velocity at maximum light of S ii and Si ii lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type II supernovae (SNe) can be used as a star formation tracer to probe the metallicity distribution of global low-redshift star formation. We present oxygen and iron abundance distributions of Type II SN progenitor regions that avoid many previous sources of bias. Because iron abundance, rather than oxygen abundance, is of key importance for the late stage evolution of the massive stars that are the progenitors of core-collapse supernovae, and because iron enrichment lags oxygen enrichment, we find a general conversion from oxygen abundance to iron abundance. The distributions we present here are the best yet observational standard of comparison for evaluating how different classes of supernovae depend on progenitor metallicity. We spectroscopically measure the gas-phase oxygen abundance near a representative subsample of the hosts of Type II SNe from the first-year Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) SN search, using a combination of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra near the SN location (9 hosts) and new longslit spectroscopy (25 hosts). The median metallicity of these 34 hosts at or near the SN location is 12+log(O/H) = 8.65, with a median error of 0.09. The median host galaxy stellar mass from fits to SDSS photometry is 109.9M_. They do not show a systematic offset in metallicity or mass from a redshift-matched sample of the MPA/JHU value-added catalog. In contrast to previous SN host metallicity studies, this sample is drawn from a single survey. It is also drawn from an areal rather than a targeted survey, so SNe in the lowest-mass galaxies are not systematically excluded. Indeed, the PTF SN search has a slight bias toward following up transients in low mass galaxies. The progenitor region metallicity distribution we find is statistically indistinguishable from the metallicity distribution of Type II SN hosts found by targeted surveys and by samples from multiple surveys with different selection functions. Using the relationship between iron and oxygen abundances found for Milky Way disk, bulge, and halo stars, we translate our distribution of Type II SN environments as a function of oxygen abundance into an estimate of the iron abundance, since iron varies more steeply than oxygen. We find that though this sample spans only 0.65 dex in oxygen abundance, the gap between the iron and oxygen abundance is 50% wider at the low-metallicity end of our sample than at the high-metallicity end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

M66 and M96 in the Leo I Group are nearby spiral galaxies hosting Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). We estimate the distances to these galaxies from the luminosity of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB).We obtain VI photometry of resolved stars in these galaxies from F555W and F814W images in the Hubble Space Telescope archive. From the luminosity function of these red giants, we find theTRGBI-band magnitude to be ITRGB = 26.20±0.03 forM66 and 26.21±0.03 forM96. These values yield distance modulus (m-M)0 = 30.12±0.03(random)±0.12(systematic) for M66 and (m - M)0 = 30.15±0.03(random)±0.12(systematic) for M96. These results show that they are indeed the members of the same group. With these results we derive absolute maximum magnitudes of two SNe (SN 1989B in M66 and SN 1998bu in M96). V-band magnitudes of these SNe Ia are ∼0.2 mag fainter than SN 2011fe in M101, one of the nearest recent SNe Ia. We also derive near-infrared magnitudes for SN 1998bu. Optical magnitudes of three SNe Ia (SN 1989B, SN 1998bu, and SN 2011fe) based on TRGB analysis yield a Hubble constant, H0 = 68.4±2.6(random)±3.7(systematic) km s-1 Mpc-1. This value is similar to the values derived from recent WMAP9 results, H0 = 69.32±0.80 km s-1 Mpc-1, and from Planck results, H0 = 67.3±1.2 km s-1 Mpc-1, but smaller than other recent determinations based on Cepheid calibration for SNe Ia luminosity, H0 = 74±3 km s-1 Mpc-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct new equations of state for baryons at subnuclear densities for the use in core-collapse simulations of massive stars. The abundance of various nuclei is obtained together with thermodynamic quantities. A model free energy is constructed, based on the relativistic mean field theory for nucleons and the mass formula for nuclei with the proton number up to ~1000. The formulation is an extension of the previous model, in which we adopted the liquid drop model to all nuclei under the nuclear statistical equilibrium. We reformulate the new liquid drop model so that the temperature dependences of bulk energies could be taken into account. Furthermore, we extend the region in the nuclear chart, in which shell effects are included, by using theoretical mass data in addition to experimental ones. We also adopt a quantum-theoretical mass evaluation of light nuclei, which incorporates thePauli- and self-energy shifts that are not included in the ordinary liquid drop model. The pasta phases for heavy nuclei are taken into account in the same way as in the previous model.We find that the abundances of heavy nuclei are modified by the shell effects of nuclei and temperature dependence of bulk energies. These changes may have an important effect on the rates of electron captures and coherent neutrino scatterings on nuclei in supernova cores. The abundances of light nuclei are also modified by the new mass evaluation, which may affect the heating and cooling rates of supernova cores and shocked envelopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stellar mass range 8 ≲ M/M⊙ ≲ 12 corresponds to the most massive asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and the most numerous massive stars. It is host to a variety of supernova (SN) progenitors and is therefore veryimportant for galactic chemical evolution and stellar population studies. In this paper, we study the transition from super-AGB (SAGB) star to massive star and find that a propagating neon-oxygen-burning shell is common to both the most massive electron capture supernova (EC-SN) progenitors and the lowest mass iron-core-collapse supernova (FeCCSN) progenitors. Of the models that ignite neon-burning off-center, the 9.5 M⊙ star would evolve to an FeCCSN after the neon-burning shell propagates to the center, as in previous studies. The neon-burning shell in the 8.8 M⊙ model, however, fails to reach the center as the URCA process and an extended (0.6 M⊙) region of low Ye (0.48) in the outer part of the core begin to dominate the late evolution; the model evolves to an EC-SN. This is the first study to follow the most massive EC-SN progenitors to collapse, representing an evolutionary path to EC-SN in addition to that from SAGB stars undergoing thermal pulses (TPs). We also present models of an 8.75 M⊙ SAGB star through its entire TP phase until electron captures on 20Ne begin at its center and of a 12 M⊙ star up to the iron core collapse. We discuss key uncertainties and how the different pathways to collapse affect the pre-SN structure. Finally, we compare our results to the observed neutron star mass distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present three-dimensional (3D) kinematic reconstructions of optically emitting material in the young Galactic supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A). These Doppler maps have the highest spectral and spatial resolutions of any previous survey of Cas A and represent the most complete catalog of its optically emitting material to date. We confirm that the bulk of Cas A's optically bright ejecta populate a torus-like geometry tilted approximately 30° with respect to the plane of the sky with a -4000 to +6000 km s-1 radial velocity asymmetry. Near-tangent viewing angle effects and an inhomogeneous surrounding circumstellar material/interstellar medium environment suggest that this geometry and velocity asymmetry may not be faithfully representative of the remnant's true 3D structure or the kinematic properties of the original explosion. The majority of the optical ejecta are arranged in several well-defined and nearly circular ring-like structures with diameters between approximately 30" (0.5 pc) and 2' (2 pc). These ejecta rings appear to be a common phenomenon of young core-collapse remnants and may be associated with post-explosion input of energy from plumes of radioactive 56Ni-rich ejecta that rise, expand, and compress non-radioactive material. Our optical survey encompasses Cas A's faint outlying ejecta knots and exceptionally high-velocity NE and SW streams of S-rich debris often referred to as "jets." These outer knots, which exhibit a chemical make-up suggestive of an origin deep within the progenitor star, appear to be arranged inopposing and wide-angle outflows with opening half-angles of ≈40?. [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]

Some fraction of the material ejected in a core collapse supernova explosion may remain bound to the compact remnant, and eventually turn around and fall back. We show that the late time (≳days) power potentially associated with the accretion of this "fallback" material could significantly affect the optical light curve, in some cases producing super-luminous or otherwise peculiar supernovae. We use spherically symmetric hydrodynamical models to estimate the accretion rate at late times for a range of progenitor masses and radii and explosion energies. The accretion rate onto the proto-neutron star or black hole decreases as M ℵ t -5/3 at late times, but its normalization can be significantly enhanced at low explosion energies, in very massive stars, or if a strong reverse shock wave forms at the helium/hydrogen interface in the progenitor. If the resulting super-Eddington accretion drives an outflow which thermalizes in the outgoing ejecta, the supernova debris will be re-energized at a time when photons can diffuse out efficiently. The resulting light curves are different and more diverse than previous fallback supernova models which ignored the input of accretion power and produced short-lived, dim transients. The possible outcomes when fallback accretion power is significant include super-luminous (≳1044 erg s-1) Type II events of both short and long durations, as well as luminous Type I events from compact stars that may have experienced significant mass loss. Accretion power may unbind the remaining infalling material, causing a sudden decrease in the brightness of some long duration Type II events. This scenario may be relevant for explaining some of the recently discovered classes of peculiar and rare supernovae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied the relation between the color evolution of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) from maximum light to the Lira law regime and the presence of narrow absorption features. Based on a nearby sample of 89 SNe Ia, we have found that the rate of change of B-V colors at late phases (between 35 and 80 days after maximum) varies significantly among different SNe Ia. At maximum light, faster Lira law B-V decliners have significantly higher equivalent widths of blended NaI D1 and D2 narrow absorption lines, redder colors, and lower RV reddening laws. We do not find faster Lira law B-V decliners to have a strong preference for younger galaxy environments, where higher interstellar material (ISM) column densities would be expected. We interpret these results as evidence for the presence of circumstellar material. The differences in colors and reddening laws found at maximum light are also present 55 days afterward, but unlike the colors at maximum they show a significant variation among different host galaxy morphological types. This suggests that the effect of ISM on the colors is more apparent at late times. Finally, we discuss how the transversal expansion of the ejecta in an inhomogeneous ISM could mimic some of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Themerger of twowhite dwarfs may be preceded by the ejection of somemass in "tidal tails," creating a circumstellar medium around the system. We consider the variety of observational signatures from this material, which depend on the lag time between the start of the merger and the ultimate explosion (assuming one occurs) of the system in a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia). If the time lag is fairly short, then the interaction of the supernova eject a with the tails could lead to detectable shock emission at radio, optical, and/or X-ray wavelengths. At somewhat later times, the tails produce relatively broad NaID absorption lines with velocity widths of the order of the white dwarf escape speed (~1000 km s-1). That none of these signatures have been detected in normal SNe Ia constrains the lag time to be either very short (≲100 s) or fairly long (≳100 yr). If the tails have expanded and cooled over timescales~104 yr, then they could be observable through narrow NaID and Ca ii H&K absorption lines in the spectra, which are seen in some fraction of SNe Ia. Using a combination of three-dimensional and one-dimensional hydrodynamical codes, we model the mass loss from tidal interactions in binary systems, and the subsequent interactions with the interstellar medium, which produce a slow-moving, dense shell of gas. We synthesize NaID line profiles by ray casting through this shell, and show that in some circumstances tidal tails could be responsible for narrow absorptions similar to those observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present observations and analysis of PS1-10bzj, a superluminous supernova (SLSN) discovered in the Pan-STARRSMedium Deep Survey at a redshift z = 0.650. Spectroscopically, PS1-10bzj is similar to the hydrogenpoor SLSNe 2005ap and SCP 06F6, though with a steeper rise and lower peak luminosity (Mbol ≃ -21.4 mag) than previous events. We construct a bolometric light curve, and show that while PS1-10bzj's energetics were less extreme than previous events, its luminosity still cannot be explained by radioactive nickel decay alone.We explore both a magnetar spin-down and circumstellar interaction scenario and find that either can fit the data. PS1-10bzj is located in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South and the host galaxy is imaged in a number of surveys, including with the Hubble Space Telescope. The host is a compact dwarf galaxy (MB ≈ -18 mag, diameter ≲800 pc), with a low stellar mass (M" ≈ 2.4 × 107M☉), young stellar population (τ" ≈ 5 Myr), and a star formation rate of ~2-3M☉ yr-1. The specific star formation rate is the highest seen in an SLSN host so far (~100 Gyr-1).We detect the [OIII] λ4363 line, and find a low metallicity: 12 + (O/H) = 7.8 ± 0.2 (≃ 0.1Z☉). Together, this indicates that at least some of the progenitors of SLSNe come from young, low-metallicity populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of a population of superluminous supernovae (SLSNe), with peak luminosities a factor of ~100 brighter than normal supernovae (SNe; typically SLSNe have MV < -21), has shown an unexpected diversity in core-collapse SN properties. Numerous models have been postulated for the nature of these events, including a strong interaction of the shockwave with a dense circumstellar environment, a re-energizing of the outflow via a central engine, or an origin in the catastrophic destruction of the star following a loss of pressure due to pair production in an extremely massive stellar core (so-called pair instability SNe). Here we consider constraints that can be placed on the explosion mechanism of hydrogen-poor SLSNe (SLSNe-I) via X-ray observations, with XMM-Newton, Chandra, and Swift, and show that at least one SLSN-I is likely the brightest X-ray SN ever observed, with LX ~ 1045 erg s-1, ~150 days after its initial discovery. This is a luminosity three orders of magnitude higher than seen in other X-ray SNe powered via circumstellar interactions. Such high X-ray luminosities are sufficient to ionize the ejecta and markedly reduce the optical depth, making it possible to see deep into the ejecta and any source of emission that resides there. Alternatively, an engine could have powered a moderately relativistic jet external to the ejecta, similar to those seen in gamma-ray bursts. If the detection of X-rays does require an engine it implies that these SNe do create compact objects, and that the stars are not completely destroyed in a pair instability event. Future observations will determine which, if any, of these mechanisms are at play in SLSNe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we provide support for the Rayleigh-Taylor-(RT)-based subgrid model used in full-star simulations of deflagrations in Type Ia supernovae explosions. We use the results of a parameter study of two-dimensional direct numerical simulations of an RT unstable model flame to distinguish between the two main types of subgrid models (RT or turbulence dominated) in the flamelet regime. First, we give scalings for the turbulent flame speed, the Reynolds number, the viscous scale, and the size of the burning region as the non-dimensional gravity (G) is varied. The flame speed is well predicted by an RT-based flame speed model. Next, the above scalings are used to calculate the Karlovitz number (Ka) and to discuss appropriate combustion regimes. No transition to thin reaction zones is seen at Ka = 1, although such a transition is expected by turbulence-dominated subgrid models. Finally, we confirm a basic physical premise of the RT subgrid model, namely, that the flame is fractal, and thus self-similar. By modeling the turbulent flame speed, we demonstrate that it is affected more by large-scale RT stretching than by small-scale turbulent wrinkling. In this way, the RT instability controls the flame directly from the large scales. Overall, these results support the RT subgrid model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A leading model for Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) begins with a white dwarf near the Chandrasekhar mass that ignites a degenerate thermonuclear runaway close to its center and explodes. In a series of papers, we shall explore the consequences of ignition at several locations within such dwarfs. Here we assume central ignition, which has been explored before, but is worth revisiting, if only to validate those previous studies and to further elucidate the relevant physics for future work. A perturbed sphere of hot iron ash with a radius of ~100 km is initialized at the middle of the star. The subsequent explosion is followed in several simulations using a thickened flame model in which the flame speed is either fixed-within the range expected from turbulent combustion-or based on the local turbulent intensity. Global results, including the explosion energy and bulk nucleosynthesis (e.g., 56Ni of 0.48-0.56M☉) turn out to be insensitive to this speed. In all completed runs, the energy released by the nuclear burning is adequate to unbind the star, but not enough to give the energy and brightness of typical SNe Ia. As found previously, the chemical stratification observed in typical events is not reproduced. These models produce a large amount of unburned carbon and oxygen in central low velocity regions, which is inconsistent with spectroscopic observations, and the intermediate mass elements and iron group elements are strongly mixed during the explosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common model of the explosion mechanism of Type Ia supernovae is based on a delayed detonation of a white dwarf. A variety of models differ primarily in themethod by which the deflagration leads to a detonation. A common feature of the models, however, is that all of them involve the propagation of the detonation through a white dwarf that is either expanding or contracting, where the stellar internal velocity profile depends on both time and space. In this work, we investigate the effects of the pre-detonation stellar internal velocity profile and the post-detonation velocity of expansion on the production of α-particle nuclei, including 56Ni, which are the primary nuclei produced by the detonation wave. We perform one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of the explosion phase of the white dwarf for center and off-center detonations with five different stellar velocity profiles at the onset of the detonation. In order to follow the complex flows and to calculate the nucleosynthetic yields, approximately 10,000 tracer particles were added to every simulation. We observe two distinct post-detonation expansion phases: rarefaction and bulk expansion. Almost all the burning to 56Ni occurs only in the rarefaction phase, and its expansion timescale is influenced by pre-existing flow structure in the star, in particular by the pre-detonation stellar velocity profile. We find that the mass fractions of the α-particle nuclei, including 56Ni, are tight functions of the empirical physical parameter ρup/υdown, where ρup is the mass density immediately upstream of the detonation wave front and υdown is the velocity of the flow immediately downstream of the detonation wave front. We also find that υdown depends on the pre-detonation flow velocity. We conclude that the properties of the pre-existing flow, in particular the internal stellar velocity profile, influence the final isotopic composition of burned matter produced by the detonation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-dimensional instabilities have become an important ingredient in core-collapse supernova (CCSN) theory. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the driving mechanism of the dominant instability. We compare our parameterized three-dimensional CCSN simulations with other buoyancy-driven simulations and propose scaling relations for neutrino-driven convection. Through these comparisons, we infer that buoyancy-driven convection dominates post-shock turbulence in our simulations. In support of this inference, we present four major results. First, the convective fluxes and kinetic energies in the neutrino-heated region are consistent with expectations of buoyancy-driven convection. Second, the convective flux is positive where buoyancy actively drives convection, and the radial and tangential components of the kinetic energy are in rough equipartition (i.e., Kr ~ Kθ + Kφ). Both results are natural consequences of buoyancy-driven convection, and are commonly observed in simulations of convection. Third, buoyant driving is balanced by turbulent dissipation. Fourth, the convective luminosity and turbulent dissipation scale with the driving neutrino power. In all, these four results suggest that in neutrino-driven explosions, the multi-dimensional motions are consistent with neutrino-driven convection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that shocks in space plasmas can accelerate particles to high energies. However, many details of the shock acceleration mechanism are still unknown. A critical element of shock acceleration is the injection problem; i.e., the presence of the so called seed particle population that is needed for the acceleration to work efficiently. In our case study, we present for the first time observational evidence of gyroresonant surfing acceleration in front of Earth's quasi-parallel bow shock resulting in the appearance of the long-suspected seed particle population. For our analysis, we use simultaneous multi-spacecraft measurements provided by the Cluster spacecraft ion (CIS), magnetic (FGM), and electric field and wave instrument (EFW) during a time period of large inter-spacecraft separation distance. The spacecraft were moving toward the bow shock and were situated in the foreshock region. The results show that the gyroresonance surfing acceleration takes place as a consequence of interaction between circularly polarized monochromatic (or quasi-monochromatic) transversal electromagnetic plasma waves and short large amplitude magnetic structures (SLAMSs). The magnetic mirror force of the SLAMS provides the resonant conditions for the ions trapped by the waves and results in the acceleration of ions. Since wave packets with circular polarization and different kinds of magnetic structures are very commonly observed in front of Earth's quasi-parallel bow shock, the gyroresonant surfing acceleration proves to be an important particle injection mechanism. We also show that seed ions are accelerated directly from the solar wind ion population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide progenitor models for electron capture supernovae (ECSNe) with detailed evolutionary calculation. We include minor electron capture nuclei using a large nuclear reaction network with updated reaction rates. For electron capture, the Coulomb correction of rates is treated and the contribution from neutron-rich isotopes is taken into account in each nuclear statistical equilibrium (NSE) composition. We calculate the evolution of the most massive super asymptotic giant branch stars and show that these stars undergo off-center carbon burning and form ONe cores at the center. These cores become heavier up to the critical mass of 1.367 Mʘ and keep contracting even after the initiation of O+Ne deflagration. Inclusion of minor electron capture nuclei causes convective URCA cooling during the contraction phase, but the effect on the progenitor evolution is small. On the other hand, electron capture by neutron-rich isotopes in the NSE region has a more significant effect. We discuss the uniqueness of the critical core mass for ECSNe and the effect of wind mass loss on the plausibility of our models for ECSN progenitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We perform experimental simulations with spherical symmetry and axisymmetry to understand the post-shockrevival evolution of core-collapse supernovae. Assuming that the stalled shock wave is relaunched by neutrino heating and employing the so-called light bulb approximation, we induce shock revival by raising the neutrino luminosity up to the critical value, which is determined by dynamical simulations. A 15☉M progenitor model is employed. We incorporate nuclear network calculations with a consistent equation of state in the simulations to account for the energy release by nuclear reactions and their feedback to hydrodynamics. Varying the shock-relaunch time rather arbitrarily, we investigate the ensuing long-term evolutions systematically, paying particular attention to the explosion energy and nucleosynthetic yields as a function of relaunch time, or equivalently, the accretion rate at shock revival. We study in detail how the diagnostic explosion energy approaches the asymptotic value and which physical processes contribute in what proportions to the explosion energy. Furthermore, we study the dependence of physical processes on the relaunch time and the dimension of dynamics. We find that the contribution of nuclear reactions to the explosion energy is comparable to or greater than that of neutrino heating. In particular, recombinations are dominant over burnings in the contributions of nuclear reactions. Interestingly, one-dimensional (1D) models studied in this paper cannot produce the appropriate explosion energy and nickel mass simultaneously; nickels are overproduced. This problem is resolved in 2D models if the shock is relaunched at 300-400 ms after the bounce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several models for Type Ia-like supernova events rely on the production of a self-sustained detonation powered by nuclear reactions. In the absence of hydrogen, the fuel that powers these detonations typically consists of either pure helium (He) or a mixture of carbon and oxygen (C/O). Studies that systematically determine the conditions required to initiate detonations in C/Omaterial exist, but until now no analogous investigation of Hematter has been conducted. We perform one-dimensional reactive hydrodynamical simulations at a variety of initial density and temperature combinations and find critical length scales for the initiation of He detonations that range between 1 and 1010 cm. A simple estimate of the length scales over which the total consumption of fuel will occur for steady-state detonations is provided by the Chapman-Jouguet (CJ) formalism. Our initiation lengths are consistently smaller than the corresponding CJ length scales by a factor of 100, providing opportunities for thermonuclear explosions in a wider range of low-mass white dwarfs (WDs) than previously thought possible. We find that virialized WDs with as little mass as 0.24 M_ can be detonated, and that even less massive WDs can be detonated if a sizable fraction of their mass is raised to a higher adiabat. That the initiation length is exceeded by the CJ length implies that certain systems may not reach nuclear statistical equilibrium within the time it takes a detonation to traverse the object. In support of this hypothesis, we demonstrate that incomplete burning will occur in the majority of He WD detonations and that 40Ca, 44Ti, or 48Cr, rather than 56Ni, is the predominant burning product for many of these events. We anticipate that a measure of the quantity of the intermediate-mass elements and 56Ni produced in a helium-rich thermonuclear explosion can potentially be used to constrain the nature of the progenitor system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) is still a mystery. While plausible candidates are known for both the single-degenerate and double-degenerate models, the observed numbers fall significantly short of what is required to reproduce the SNe Ia rate. Some of the most promising single--degenerate Type Ia progenitors are recurrent novae and super-soft sources (SSS). White dwarfs (WDs) with higher mass transfer rates can also be SN Ia progenitors. For these rapidly accreting white dwarfs (RAWDs), more material than is needed for steady burning accretes on the WD, and extends the WD's photosphere. Unlike SSS, such objects will likely not be detectable at soft X-ray energies, but will be bright at longer wavelengths, such as the far-ultraviolet (UV). Possible examples include LMC N66 and the V Sagittae stars.We present a survey using multi-object spectrographs looking for RAWDs in the central core of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), from objects selected to be bright in the far-UV and with blue far UV-V colors. While we find some unusual objects, and recover known planetary nebula and Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars, we detect no candidate RAWD. The upper limits from this non-detection depend on our expectations of what an RAWD should look like, as well assumptions about the internal extinction of the SMC. Assuming they resemble LMC N66 or fainter versions of WR stars we set an upper limit of 10-14 RAWDs in the SMC. However, our survey is unlikely to detect objects like V Sge, and hence we cannot set meaningful upper limits if RAWDs generally resemble V Sge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metallicity of a star strongly affects both its evolution and the properties of the stellar remnant that results from its demise. It is generally accepted that stars with initial masses below ~8 M⊙ leave behind white dwarfs and that some sub-population of these lead to Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). However, it is often tacitly assumed that metallicity has no effect on the rate of SNe Ia. We propose that a consequence of the effects of metallicity is to significantly increase the SN Ia rate in lower-metallicity galaxies, in contrast to previous expectations. This is because lower-metallicity stars leave behind higher-mass white dwarfs, which should be easier to bring to explosion. We first model SN Ia rates in relation to galaxy masses and ages alone, finding that the elevation in the rate of SNe Ia in lower-mass galaxies measured by Lick Observatory SN Search is readily explained. However, we then see that models incorporating this effect of metallicity agree just as well. Using the same parameters to estimate the cosmic SN Ia rate, we again find good agreement with data up to z ≈ 2. We suggest that this degeneracy warrants more detailed examination of host galaxy metallicities. We discuss additional implications, including for hosts of high-z SNe Ia, the SN Ia delay time distribution, super-Chandrasekhar SNe, and cosmology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halo gas in low-z (z < 0.5) ≳ 0.1L* galaxies in high-resolution, large-scale cosmological hydrodynamic simulations is examined with respect to three components: cold, warm, and hot with temperatures of <105, 105-6, and >106 K, respectively. Utilizing Ovi λλ1032, 1038 absorption lines, the warm component is compared to observations, and agreement is found with respect to the galaxy-O VI line correlation, the ratio of the O VI line incidence rate in blue to red galaxies, and the amount of O VI mass in star-forming galaxies. A detailed account of the sources of warm halo gas (stellar feedback heating, gravitational shock heating, and accretion from the intergalactic medium), inflowing and outflowing warm halo gas metallicity disparities, and their dependencies on galaxy types and environment is also presented. With the warm component securely anchored, our simulations make the following additional predictions. First, cold gas is the primary component in inner regions with its mass comprising 50% of all gas within galactocentric radius r = (30, 150) kpc in (red, blue) galaxies. Second, at r > (30, 200) kpc in (red, blue) galaxies the hot component becomes the majority. Third, the warm component is a perpetual minority, with its contribution peaking at ~30% at r = 100-300 kpc in blue galaxies and never exceeding 5% in red galaxies. The significant amount of cold gas in low-z early-type galaxies, which was found in simulations and in agreement with recent observations (Thom et al.), is intriguing, as is the dominance of hot gas at large radii in blue galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report extensive observational data for five of the lowest redshift Super-Luminous Type Ic Supernovae (SL-SNe Ic) discovered to date, namely, PTF10hgi, SN2011ke, PTF11rks, SN2011kf, and SN2012il. Photometric imaging of the transients at +50 to +230 days after peak combined with host galaxy subtraction reveals a luminous tail phase for four of these SL-SNe. A high-resolution, optical, and near-infrared spectrum from xshooter provides detection of a broad He I λ 10830 emission line in the spectrum (+50 days) of SN2012il, revealing that at least some SL-SNe Ic are not completely helium-free. At first sight, the tail luminosity decline rates that we measure are consistent with the radioactive decay of 56Co, and would require 1-4M⊙ of 56Ni to produce the luminosity. These 56Ni masses cannot be made consistent with the short diffusion times at peak, and indeed are insufficient to power the peak luminosity. We instead favor energy deposition by newborn magnetars as the power source for these objects. A semi-analytical diffusion model with energy input from the spin-down of a magnetar reproduces the extensive light curve data well. The model predictions of ejecta velocities and temperatures which are required are in reasonable agreement with those determined from our observations. We derive magnetar energies of 0.4 ≲ E(1051 erg) ≲ 6.9 and ejecta masses of 2.3 ≲ Mej(M⊙) ≲ 8.6. The sample of five SL-SNe Ic presented here, combined with SN 2010gx—the best sampled SL-SNe Ic so far—points toward an explosion driven by a magnetar as a viable explanation for all SL-SNe Ic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the relationship between Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) Hubble residuals and the properties of their host galaxies using a sample of 115 SNe Ia from the Nearby Supernova Factory. We use host galaxy stellar masses and specific star formation rates fitted from photometry for all hosts, as well as gas-phase metallicities for a subset of 69 star-forming (non-active galactic nucleus) hosts, to show that the SNIa Hubble residuals correlate with each of these host properties.With these data we find new evidence for a correlation between SN Ia intrinsic color and host metallicity.When we combine our data with those of other published SN Ia surveys, we find the difference between mean SN Ia brightnesses in low- and high-mass hosts is 0.077 ± 0.014 mag. When viewed in narrow (0.2 dex) bins of host stellar mass, the data reveal apparent plateaus of Hubble residuals at high and low host masses with a rapid transition over a short mass range (9.8 ⩽ log(M*/M⊙) ⩽ 10.4). Although metallicity has been a favored interpretation for the origin of the Hubble residual trend with host mass, we illustrate how dust in star-forming galaxies and mean SN Ia progenitor age both evolve along the galaxy mass sequence, thereby presenting equally viable explanations for some or all of the observed SNIa host bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of galaxies hosting Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) observed by the Nearby Supernova Factory. Combining Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) UV data with optical and near-infrared photometry, we employ stellar population synthesis techniques to measure SNIa host galaxy stellar masses, star formation rates (SFRs), and reddening due to dust. We reinforce the key role of GALEX UV data in deriving accurate estimates of galaxy SFRs and dust extinction. Optical spectra of SN Ia host galaxies are fitted simultaneously for their stellar continua and emission lines fluxes, from which we derive high-precision redshifts, gas-phase metallicities, and Ha-based SFRs. With these data we show that SN Ia host galaxies present tight agreement with the fiducial galaxy mass-metallicity relation from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) for stellar masses log(M*/M⊙) > 8.5 where the relation is well defined. The star formation activity of SN Ia host galaxies is consistent with a sample of comparable SDSS field galaxies, though this comparison is limited by systematic uncertainties in SFR measurements. Our analysis indicates that SN Ia host galaxies are, on average, typical representatives of normal field galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relevance of the standing accretion shock instability (SASI) compared to neutrino-driven convection in threedimensional (3D) supernova-core environments is still highly controversial. Studying a 27 M⊙ progenitor, we demonstrate, for the first time, that violent SASI activity can develop in 3D simulations with detailed neutrino transport despite the presence of convection. This result was obtained with the Prometheus-Vertex code with the same sophisticated neutrino treatment so far used only in one-dimensional and two-dimensional (2D) models. While buoyant plumes initially determine the nonradial mass motions in the postshock layer, bipolar shock sloshing with growing amplitude sets in during a phase of shock retraction and turns into a violent spiral mode whose growth is only quenched when the infall of the Si/SiO interface leads to strong shock expansion in response to a dramatic decrease of the mass accretion rate. In the phase of large-amplitude SASI sloshing and spiral motions, the postshock layer exhibits nonradial deformation dominated by the lowest-order spherical harmonics (ℓ = 1, m = 0,±1) in distinct contrast to the higher multipole structures associated with neutrino-driven convection. We find that the SASI amplitudes, shock asymmetry, and nonradial kinetic energy in three dimensions can exceed those of the corresponding 2D case during extended periods of the evolution. We also perform parameterized 3D simulations of a 25 M⊙ progenitor, using a simplified, gray neutrino transport scheme, an axis-free Yin-Yang grid, and different amplitudes of random seed perturbations. They confirm the importance of the SASI for another progenitor, its independence of the choice of spherical grid, and its preferred growth for fast accretion flows connected to small shock radii and compact proto-neutron stars as previously found in 2D setups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present 65 optical spectra of the Type Ia SN 2012fr, 33 of which were obtained before maximum light. At early times, SN 2012fr shows clear evidence of a high-velocity feature (HVF) in the Si II λ6355 line that can be cleanly decoupled from the lower velocity "photospheric" component. This Si ii λ6355 HVF fades by phase −5; subsequently, the photospheric component exhibits a very narrow velocity width and remains at a nearly constant velocity of ∼12,000 km s-1 until at least five weeks after maximum brightness. The Ca ii infrared triplet exhibits similar evidence for both a photospheric component at v ≈ 12,000 km s−1 with narrow line width and long velocity plateau, as well as an HVF beginning at v ≈ 31,000 km s-1 two weeks before maximum. SN 2012fr resides on the border between the "shallow silicon" and "core-normal" subclasses in the Branch et al. classification scheme, and on the border between normal and high-velocity Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in theWang et al. system. Though it is a clear member of the "low velocity gradient" group of SNe Ia and exhibits a very slow light-curve decline, it shows key dissimilarities with the overluminous SN 1991T or SN 1999aa subclasses of SNe Ia. SN 2012fr represents a well-observed SN Ia at the luminous end of the normal SN Ia distribution and a key transitional event between nominal spectroscopic subclasses of SNe Ia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-series spectra of the near-infrared 1.6μm region have been obtained for five of the six known D-type symbiotic novae. The spectra map the pulsation kinematics of the Mira component in the Mira-white dwarf binary system and provide the center-of-mass velocity for the Mira. No orbital motion is detected in agreement with previous estimates of orbital periods ≿100 yr and semimajor axes ~50 AU. The 1-5μm spectra of the Miras show line weakening during dust obscuration events. This results from scattering and continuum emission by 1000 K dust. In the heavily obscured HM Sge system the 4.6μm CO spectrum formed in 1000 K gas is seen in emission against an optically thick dust continuum. Spectral features that are typically produced in either the cool molecular region or the expanding circumstellar region of late-type stars cannot be detected in the D-symbiotic novae. This is in accord with the colliding wind model for interaction between the white dwarf and Mira. Arguments are presented that the 1000 K gas and dust are not Mira circumstellar material but are in the wind interaction region of the colliding winds. CO is the first molecule detected in this region. We suggest that dust condensing in the intershock region is the origin of the dust obscuration. This model explains variations in the obscuration. Toward the highly obscured Mira in HM Sge the dust zone is estimated to be ~0.1 AU thick. The intershock wind interaction zone appears thinnest in the most active systems. Drawing on multiple arguments masses are estimated for the system components. The Miras in most D-symbiotic novae have descended from intermediate mass progenitors. The large amount of masslost from the Mira combined with the massive white dwarf companion suggests that these systems are supernova candidates. However, timescales and the number of objects make these rare events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the sensitivity of nucleosynthesis in massive stars to the truncation of supernova explosions above a certain mass. It is assumed that stars of all masses contribute to nucleosynthesis by their pre-explosive winds, but above a certain limiting main sequence mass, MBH, the presupernova star becomes a black hole and ejects nothing more. The solar abundances from oxygen to atomic mass 90 are fit quite well assuming no cutoff at all, i.e., by assuming all stars up to 120 Mʘ make successful supernovae. Little degradation in the fit occurs if MBH is reduced to 25 Mʘ. If this limit is reduced further however, the nucleosynthesis of the s-process declines precipitously and the production of species made in the winds, e.g., carbon, becomes unacceptably large compared with elements made in the explosion, e.g., silicon and oxygen. By varying uncertain physics, especially the mass loss rate for massive stars and the rate for the 22Ne(α, n)25Mg reaction rate, acceptable nucleosynthesis might still be achieved with a cutoff as low as 18 Mʘ. This would require, however, a supernova frequency three times greater than the fiducial value obtained when all stars explode in order to produce the required 16O. The effects of varying MBH on the nucleosynthesis of 60Fe and 26Al, the production of helium as measured by ΔY/ΔZ, and the average masses of compact remnants are also examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly unusual pair of a gamma-ray burst (GRB) GRB060218 and an associated supernova, SN2006aj, has puzzled theorists for years. A supernova shock breakout and a jet from a newborn stellar mass compact object have been proposed to explain this pair's multiwavelength signature. Alternatively, we propose that the source is naturally explained by another channel: the tidal disruption of a white dwarf (WD) by an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH). This tidal disruption is accompanied by a tidal pinching, which leads to the ignition of a WD and a supernova. Some debris falls back onto the IMBH, forms a disk, which quickly amplifies the magnetic field, and launches a jet. We successfully fit soft X-ray spectra with the Comptonized blackbody emission from a jet photosphere. The optical/UV emission is consistent with self-absorbed synchrotron emission from the expanding jet front. The temporal dependence of the accretion rate ?M (t ) in a tidal disruption provides a good fit to the soft X-ray light curve. The IMBH mass is found to be about 104Mʘ in three independent estimates: (1) fitting the tidal disruption ?M (t ) to the soft X-ray light curve, (2) computing the jet base radius in a jet photospheric emission model, and (3) inferring the mass of the central black hole based on the host dwarf galaxy's stellar mass. The position of the supernova is consistent with the center of the host galaxy, while the low supernova ejecta mass is consistent with that of a WD. The high expected rate of tidal disruptions in dwarf galaxies is consistent with one source observed by the Swift satellite over several years at a distance of 150 Mpc measured for GRB060218. Encounters with WDs provide much fuel for the growth of IMBHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, H0 and q0 were the quest of cosmology, as they promised to characterize our “world model” without reference to a specific cosmological framework. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we show that q0 cannot be directly measured using distance indicators with both accuracy (without offset away from its true value) and precision (small error bar). While H0 can be measured with accuracy and precision, to avoid a small bias in its direct measurement (of order 5%) we demonstrate that the pair H0 and ΩM (assuming flatness and w = −1) is a better choice of two parameters, even if our world model is not precisely ΛCDM. We illustrate this with analysis of the Constitution set of supernovae and indirectly infer q0 = −0.57±−0.04. Finally, we show that it may be possible to directly determine q0 with both accuracy and precision using the time dependence of redshifts (“redshift drift”). [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]