Search

The effects of the interaction between Type Ia supernova ejecta and their circumstellar wind on the photometric properties of Type Ia supernovae are investigated. We assume that a hydrogen-rich, dense, and extended circumstellar matter (CSM) is formed by the steady mass loss of their progenitor systems. The CSM density is assumed to be proportional to r^{-2}. When the mass-loss rate is above 1e-4 Msun/yr with a wind velocity of 100 km/s, CSM interaction results in an early flux excess in optical light-curves within 4 days of explosion. In these cases, the optical colour quickly evolves to the blue. The ultraviolet flux below 3000 A is found to have a persistent flux excess compared to Type Ia supernovae as long as CSM interaction continues. Type Ia supernovae with progenitor mass-loss rates between 1e-4 and 1e-3 Msun/yr may not have a CSM that is dense enough to affect spectra to make them Type Ia-CSM, but they may still result in Type Ia supernovae with an early optical flux excess. Because they have a persistent ultraviolet flux excess, ultraviolet light curves around the luminosity peak would be significantly different from those with a low-density CSM., Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, accepted by Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

The abundance distribution in the ejecta of the peculiar slowly declining Type Ia supernova (SN\,Ia) SN\,1999aa is obtained by modelling a time series of optical spectra. Similar to SN\,1991T, SN\,1999aa was characterised by early-time spectra dominated by \FeIII\ features and a weak \SiII\,6355\,\AA\ line, but it exhibited a high-velocity \CaII\,H\&K line and morphed into a spectroscopically normal SN\,Ia earlier. Three explosion models are investigated, yielding comparable fits. The innermost layers are dominated by $\sim 0.3$\,\Msun\ of neutron-rich stable Fe-group elements, mostly stable iron. Above that central region lies a \Nifs-dominated shell, extending to $v \approx 11,000$ -- $12,000$\,\kms, with mass $\sim 0.65$\,\Msun. These inner layers are therefore similar to those of normal SNe\,Ia. However, the outer layers exhibit composition peculiarities similar to those of SN\,1991T: the intermediate-mass elements shell is very thin, containing only $\sim 0.2$\,\Msun, and is sharply separated from an outer oxygen-dominated shell, which includes $\sim 0.22$\,\Msun. These results imply that burning suddenly stopped in SN\,1999aa. This is a feature SN\,1999aa shares with SN\,1991T, and explain the peculiarities of both SNe, which are quite similar in nature apart from the different luminosities. The spectroscopic path from normal to SN\,1991T-like SNe\,Ia cannot be explained solely by a temperature sequence. It also involves composition layering differences, suggesting variations in the progenitor density structure or in the explosion parameters., Comment: 19 pages, 21 figures

Investigations that were carried out over the last two decades with novel and more sensitive instrumentation have dramatically improved our knowledge of the more violent physical processes taking place in galactic and extra-galactic Black-Holes, Neutron Stars, Supernova Remnants/Pulsar Wind Nebulae, and other regions of the Universe where relativistic acceleration processes are in place. Simultaneous and/or combined observations with gamma-ray satellites and ground based high-energy telescopes, have clarified the scenario of the mechanisms responsible for high energy photon emission by leptonic and hadronic accelerated particles in the presence of magnetic fields. Specifically, the European Space Agency INTEGRAL soft gamma-ray observatory has detected more than 1000 sources in the soft gamma-ray band, providing accurate positions, light curves and time resolved spectral data for them. Space observations with Fermi-LAT and observations that were carried out from the ground with H.E.S.S., MAGIC, VERITAS, and other telescopes sensitive in the GeV-TeV domain have, at the same time, provided evidence that a substantial fraction of the cosmic sources detected are emitting in the keV to TeV band via Synchrotron-Inverse Compton processes, in particular from stellar galactic BH systems as well as from distant black holes. In this work, employing a spatial cross correlation technique, we compare the INTEGRAL/IBIS and TeV all-sky data in search of secure or likely associations. Although this analysis is based on a subset of the INTEGRAL all-sky observations, we find that there is a significant correlation: 39 objects show emission in both soft gamma-ray and TeV wavebands. The full INTEGRAL database, now comprising almost 19 years of public data available, will represent an important legacy that will be useful for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) and other ground based large projects., Comment: 30 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MDPI - Universe Special Issue "High-Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy: Results on Fundamental Questions after 30 Years of Ground-Based Observations"

On 17 August 2017, less than two years after the direct detection of gravitational radiation from the merger of two ~30 Msun black holes, a binary neutron star merger was identified as the source of a gravitational wave signal of ~100 s duration that occurred at less than 50 Mpc from Earth. A short GRB was independently identified in the same sky area by the Fermi and INTEGRAL satellites for high energy astrophysics, which turned out to be associated with the gravitational event. Prompt follow-up observations at all wavelengths led first to the detection of an optical and infrared source located in the spheroidal galaxy NGC4993 and, with a delay of ~10 days, to the detection of radio and X-ray signals. This paper revisits these observations and focusses on the early optical/infrared source, which was thermal in nature and powered by the radioactive decay of the unstable isotopes of elements synthesized via rapid neutron capture during the merger and in the phases immediately following it. The far-reaching consequences of this event for cosmic nucleosynthesis and for the history of heavy elements formation in the Universe are also illustrated., Comment: 24 pages, 1 figure, author's version of paper accepted for publication in Frontiers in Physics, Nuclear Physics

AGN are among the most energetic phenomena in the Universe and in the last two decades INTEGRAL's contribution in their study has had a significant impact. Thanks to the INTEGRAL extragalactic sky surveys, all classes of soft X-ray detected (in the 2-10 keV band) AGN have been observed at higher energies as well. Up to now, around 450 AGN have been catalogued and a conspicuous part of them are either objects observed at high-energies for the first time or newly discovered AGN. The high-energy domain (20-200 keV) represents an important window for spectral studies of AGN and it is also the most appropriate for AGN population studies, since it is almost unbiased against obscuration and therefore free of the limitations which affect surveys at other frequencies. Over the years, INTEGRAL data have allowed to characterise AGN spectra at high energies, to investigate their absorption properties, to test the AGN unification scheme and to perform population studies. In this review the main results are reported and INTEGRAL's contribution to AGN science is highlighted for each class of AGN. Finally, new perspectives are provided, connecting INTEGRAL's science with that at other wavelengths and in particular to the GeV/TeV regime which is still poorly explored., Comment: 31 pages, 16 figures, will be published in New Astronomy Reviews issue 15 years of Integral science

The hydrogen-poor supernova PTF11rka (z = 0.0744), reported by the Palomar Transient Factory, was observed with various telescopes starting a few days after the estimated explosion time of 2011 Dec. 5 UT and up to 432 rest-frame days thereafter. The rising part of the light curve was monitored only in the R_PTF filter band, and maximum in this band was reached ~30 rest-frame days after the estimated explosion time. The light curve and spectra of PTF11rka are consistent with the core-collapse explosion of a ~10 Msun carbon-oxygen core evolved from a progenitor of main-sequence mass 25--40 Msun, that liberated a kinetic energy (KE) ~ 4 x 10^{51} erg, expelled ~8 Msun of ejecta (Mej), and synthesised ~0.5 Msun of 56Nichel. The photospheric spectra of PTF11rka are characterised by narrow absorption lines that point to suppression of the highest ejecta velocities ~>15,000 km/s. This would be expected if the ejecta impacted a dense, clumpy circumstellar medium. This in turn caused them to lose a fraction of their energy (~5 x 10^50 erg), less than 2% of which was converted into radiation that sustained the light curve before maximum brightness. This is reminiscent of the superluminous SN 2007bi, the light-curve shape and spectra of which are very similar to those of PTF11rka, although the latter is a factor of 10 less luminous and evolves faster in time. PTF11rka is in fact more similar to gamma-ray burst supernovae (GRB-SNe) in luminosity, although it has a lower energy and a lower KE/Mej ratio., Comment: 18 page, 9 figures, MNRAS, in press

We present a systematic search for optical counterparts to 13 gravitational wave (GW) triggers involving at least one neutron star during LIGO/Virgo's third observing run. We searched binary neutron star (BNS) and neutron star black hole (NSBH) merger localizations with the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and undertook follow-up with the Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen (GROWTH) collaboration. The GW triggers had a median localization of 4480 deg^2, median distance of 267 Mpc and false alarm rates ranging from 1.5 to 1e-25 per yr. The ZTF coverage had a median enclosed probability of 39%, median depth of 20.8mag, and median response time of 1.5 hr. The O3 follow-up by the GROWTH team comprised 340 UVOIR photometric points, 64 OIR spectra, and 3 radio. We find no promising kilonova (radioactivity-powered counterpart) and we convert the upper limits to constrain the underlying kilonova luminosity function. Assuming that all kilonovae are at least as luminous as GW170817 at discovery (-16.1mag), we calculate our joint probability of detecting zero kilonovae is only 4.2%. If we assume that all kilonovae are brighter than -16.6mag (extrapolated peak magnitude of GW170817) and fade at 1 mag/day (similar to GW170817), the joint probability of zero detections is 7%. If we separate the NSBH and BNS populations, the joint probability of zero detections, assuming all kilonovae are brighter than -16.6mag, is 9.7% for NSBH and 7.9% for BNS mergers. Moreover, <57% (<89%) of putative kilonovae could be brighter than -16.6mag assuming flat (fading) evolution, at 90% confidence. If we further account for the online terrestrial probability for each GW trigger, we find that <68% of putative kilonovae could be brighter than -16.6mag. Comparing to model grids, we find that some kilonovae must have Mej < 0.03 Msun or Xlan>1e-4 or phi>30deg to be consistent with our limits. (Abridged), Comment: Submitted to ApJ

The origin of iPTF14hls, which had Type IIP supernova-like spectra but kept bright for almost two years with little spectral evolution, is still unclear. We here propose that iPTF14hls was not a sudden outburst like supernovae but rather a long-term outflow similar to stellar winds. The properties of iPTF14hls, which are at odds with a supernova scenario, become natural when interpreted as a stellar wind with variable mass-loss rate. Based on the wind hypothesis, we estimate the mass-loss rates of iPTF14hls in the bright phase. We find that the instantaneous mass-loss rate of iPTF14hls during the 2-year bright phase was more than a few Msun/yr ("hyper-wind") and it reached as much as 10 Msun/yr. The total mass lost over two years was about 10 Msun. Interestingly, we find that the light curve of iPTF14hls has a very similar shape to that of eta Carinae during the Great Eruption, which also experienced a similar but less extreme brightening accompanied by extraordinary mass loss, shedding more than 10 Msun in 10 years. The progenitor of iPTF14hls is less than 150 Msun if it still exists, which is similar to eta Carinae. The two phenomena may be related to a continuum-driven extreme wind from very massive stars., Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, accepted by Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Half of all the elements in the universe heavier than iron were created by rapid neutron capture. The theory for this astrophysical `$r$-process' was worked out six decades ago and requires an enormous neutron flux to make the bulk of these elements. Where this happens is still debated. A key piece of missing evidence is the identification of freshly-synthesised $r$-process elements in an astrophysical site. Current models and circumstantial evidence point to neutron star mergers as a probable $r$-process site, with the optical/infrared `kilonova' emerging in the days after the merger a likely place to detect the spectral signatures of newly-created neutron-capture elements. The kilonova, AT2017gfo, emerging from the gravitational-wave--discovered neutron star merger, GW170817, was the first kilonova where detailed spectra were recorded. When these spectra were first reported it was argued that they were broadly consonant with an outflow of radioactive heavy elements, however, there was no robust identification of any element. Here we report the identification of the neutron-capture element strontium in a re-analysis of these spectra. The detection of a neutron-capture element associated with the collision of two extreme-density stars establishes the origin of $r$-process elements in neutron star mergers, and demonstrates that neutron stars contain neutron-rich matter.

Wide-field optical surveys have begun to uncover large samples of fast (t_rise < 5d), luminous (M_peak < -18), blue transients. While commonly attributed to the breakout of a supernova shock into a dense wind, the great distances to the transients of this class found so far have hampered detailed investigation of their properties. We present photometry and spectroscopy from a comprehensive worldwide campaign to observe AT2018cow (ATLAS18qqn), the first fast-luminous optical transient to be found in real time at low redshift. Our first spectra (<2 days after discovery) are entirely featureless. A very broad absorption feature suggestive of near-relativistic velocities develops between 3-8 days, then disappears. Broad emission features of H and He develop after >10 days. The spectrum remains extremely hot throughout its evolution, and the photospheric radius contracts with time (receding below R<10^14 cm after 1 month). This behaviour does not match that of any known supernova, although a relativistic jet within a fallback supernova could explain some of the observed features. Alternatively, the transient could originate from the disruption of a star by an intermediate-mass black hole, although this would require long-lasting emission of highly super-Eddington thermal radiation. In either case, AT2018cow suggests that the population of fast luminous transients represents a new class of astrophysical event. Intensive follow-up of this event in its late phases, and of any future events found at comparable distance, will be essential to better constrain their origins., Comment: Corrected Figure 8 / Table 4 to use final fits. Includes machine-readable photometry table (hopefully for real this time)

Recent high-energy missions have allowed keeping watch over blazars in flaring states, which provide deep insights into the engine powered by supermassive black holes. However, having a quasar caught in a very bright flaring state is not easy requiring long surveys. Therefore, the observation of such flaring events represents a goldmine for theoretical studies. Such a flaring event was captured by the INTEGRAL mission in June 2015 while performing its (as of today) deepest extragalactic survey when it caught the prominent blazar 3C~279 in its brightest flare ever recorded at gamma-ray energies. The flare was simultaneously recorded by the Fermi gamma-ray mission, by the Swift mission, by the INTEGRAL mission and by observations ranging from UV, through optical to the near-IR bands. The derived snapshot of this broad spectral energy distribution of the flare has been modeled in the context of a one-zone radiation transfer leptonic and lepto-hadronic models constraining the single emission components. The derived parameters of both models challenge the physical conditions in the jet. However, very recently published very-high-energy (VHE) data at TeV energies are very close to our lepto-hadronic model., Comment: ICRC 2017 conference proceeding

The merger of binary neutron star (BNS) systems are predicted to be progenitors of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs); the definitive probe of this association came with the recent detection of gravitational waves (GWs) from a BNS merger by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo (GW170817), in coincidence with the short GRB 170817A observed by Fermi-GBM and INTEGRAL. Short GRBs are also expected to emit very-high energy (VHE, > 100 GeV) photons and VHE electromagnetic (EM) upper limits have been set with observations performed by ground-based gamma-ray detectors and during the intense EM follow-up campaign associated with GW170817/GRB 170817A. In the next years, the searches for VHE EM counterparts will become more effective thanks to the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA): this instrument will be fundamental for the EM follow-up of transient GW events at VHE, owing to its unprecedented sensitivity, rapid response (few tens of seconds) and capability to monitor large sky areas via survey-mode operation. We present a comprehensive study on the prospects for joint GW and VHE EM observations of merging BNSs with Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and CTA, based on detailed simulations of the multi-messenger emission and detection. We propose a new observational strategy optimized on the prior assumptions about the EM emission. The method can be further generalized to include other electromagnetic emission models. According to this study CTA will cover most of the region of the GW skymap for the intermediate and most energetic on-axis GRBs associated to the GW event. We estimate the expected joint GW and VHE EM detection rates and we found this rate goes from 0.08 up to 0.5 events per year for the most energetic EM sources., Comment: 26 pages, 8 figures. Submitted to JCAP

We present monitoring campaign observations at optical and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths for a radio-loud active galactic nucleus (AGN) at z=0.840, SDSS~J110006.07+442144.3 (hereafter, J1100+4421), which was identified during a flare phase in late February, 2014. The campaigns consist of three intensive observing runs from the discovery to March, 2015, mostly within the scheme of the OISTER collaboration. Optical-NIR light curves and simultaneous spectral energy distributions (SEDs) are obtained. Our measurements show the strongest brightening in March, 2015. We found that the optical-NIR SEDs of J1100+4421 show an almost steady shape despite the large and rapid intranight variability. This constant SED shape is confirmed to extend to $\sim5~\mu$m in the observed frame using the archival WISE data. Given the lack of absorption lines and the steep power-law spectrum of $\alpha_{\nu}\sim-1.4$, where $f_{\nu}\propto\nu^{\alpha_{\nu}}$, synchrotron radiation by a relativistic jet with no or small contributions from the host galaxy and the accretion disk seems most plausible as an optical-NIR emission mechanism. The steep optical-NIR spectral shape and the large amplitude of variability are consistent with this object being a low $\nu_{\rm{peak}}$ jet-dominated AGN. In addition, sub-arcsec resolution optical imaging data taken with Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam does not show a clear extended component and the spatial scales are significantly smaller than the large extensions detected at radio wavelengths. The optical spectrum of a possible faint companion galaxy does not show any emission lines at the same redshift and hence a merging hypothesis for this AGN-related activity is not supported by our observations., Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in PASJ

We show that the jet power $P_j$ and geometrically corrected $\gamma$-ray luminosity $L_\gamma$ for the X-ray binaries (XRBs) Cygnus X-1, Cygnus X-3, and V404 Cygni, and $\gamma$-ray upper limits for GRS 1915+105 and GX339-4, follow the universal scaling for the energetics of relativistic jets from black hole (BH) systems found by Nemmen et al. (2012) for blazars and GRBs. The observed peak $\gamma$-ray luminosity for XRBs is geometrically corrected; and the minimum jet power is estimated from the peak flux density of radio flares and the flare rise time. The $L_\gamma-P_j$ correlation holds across $\sim 17$ orders of magnitude. The correlation suggests a jet origin for the high energy emission from X-ray binaries, and indicates a common mechanism or efficiency for the high energy emission 0.1-100 GeV from all relativistic BH systems., Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures. Accepted 26 Jul 2017 by MNRAS, text and title updated to match accepted version

After several decades of extensive research the mechanism driving core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) is still unclear. A common mechanism is a neutrino driven outflow, but others have been proposed. Among those, a long-standing idea is that jets play an important role in SN explosions. Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that accompany rare and powerful CCSNe, sometimes called "hypernovae", provide a clear evidence for a jet activity. The relativistic GRB jet punches a hole in the stellar envelope and produces the observed gamma-rays far outside the progenitor star. While SNe and jets coexist in long GRBs, the relation between the mechanisms driving the hypernova and the jet is unknown. Also unclear is the relation between the rare hypernovae and the more common CCSNe. Here we {present observational evidence that indicates} that choked jets are active in CCSNe types that are not associated with GRBs. A choked jet deposits all its energy in a cocoon. The cocoon eventually breaks out from the star releasing energetic material at very high, yet sub-relativistic, velocities. This fast moving material has a unique signature that can be detected in early time SN spectra. We find a clear evidence for this signature in several CCSNe, all involving progenitors that have lost all, or most, of their hydrogen envelope prior to the explosion. These include CCSNe that don't harbor GRBs or any other relativistic outflows. Our findings suggest a continuum of central engine activities in different types of CCSNe and call for rethinking of the explosion mechanism of regular CCSNe

The INTEGRAL mission has played a major role in blazar science, thanks to its sensitive coverage of a spectral region (3-100 keV) that is critical for this type of sources, to its flexibility of scheduling and to the large field of view of its cameras. A number of flat-spectrum radio quasars (up to z ~ 3) and BL Lac objects were observed by INTEGRAL together with facilities at all wavelengths. These results have advanced our knowledge of blazars from a physical and cosmological point of view. This paper reviews some of these outcomes, with particular reference to the INTEGRAL program for blazars in outburst as targets of opportunity, with a perspective into a future of multi-messenger astronomy, Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, invited talk at the 11th INTEGRAL Conference "Gamma-Ray Astrophysics in Multi-Wavelength Perspective", Amsterdam, 10-14 October 2016. To be published in the Conf. Proceedings

The analysis of 176 gamma ray burst (GRB) afterglow plateaus observed by Swift from GRBs with known redshifts revealed that the subsample of long GRBs associated with supernovae (LONG-SNe) - 19 events - presents a very high correlation coefficient between the luminosity at the end of the plateau phase La and the end time of the plateau T*a, hereafter Dainotti relation. Furthermore, these SNe Ib/c associated with GRBs also obey the peak-magnitude stretch relation, similar to that used to standardize the SNe Ia. We here investigate a category of GRBs with plateau and associated with SNe to compare the Dainotti correlation for this sample with the correlation for long GRBs for which no associated SN has been observed (hereafter LONG-NO-SNe, 128 GRBs) and to check whether there is a difference among these sub-samples. We first adopted a non-parametric statistical method to take redshift evolution into account and to check if and how this effect may steepen the slope for the LONG-NO-SNe sample. Therefore, removing selection bias is the first step before any comparison among samples observed at different redshifts could be properly performed. Then, we applied the T-student test to evaluate a statistical difference between the slopes of the two samples. We demonstrate that there is no evolution for the slope of the LONG-NO-SNe sample and no evolution is expected for the LONG-SNe sample at small redshifts. The difference between the slope of the LONG-NO-SNe and the slope of LONG-SNe with firm spectral detection of SN components, is statistically significant. This possibly suggests that, unlike LONG-NO-SNe, LONG-SNe with firm spectroscopic features of the associated SNe might not require a standard energy reservoir in the plateau phase. Therefore, this analysis may open new perspectives in future theoretical investigations of the GRBs with plateau emission and that are associated with SNe., Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, 2 Tables, in press on Astronomy and Astrophysics, 8 dicember 2016

Blazars radiate from radio through gamma-ray frequencies thereby being ideal targets for multifrequency studies. Such studies allow constraining the properties of the emitting jet. 3C 279 is among the most notable blazars and therefore subject to extensive multifrequency campaigns. We report the results of a campaign ranging from near-IR to gamma-ray energies of an outburst of 3C 279 in June 2015. The overall spectral energy distribution from near-IR to gamma rays can be well represented by either a leptonic or a lepto-hadronic radiation transfer model. Even though the data are equally well represented by the two models, their inferred parameters challenge the physical conditions in the jet. In fact, the leptonic model requires parameters with a magnetic field far below equipartition with the relativistic particle energy density. On the contrary, equipartition may be achieved with the lepto-hadronic model, which however implies an extreme total jet power close to Eddington luminosity., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ

The detection of the events GW150914 and GW151226, both consistent with the merger of a binary black hole system (BBH), opened the era of gravitational wave (GW) astronomy. Besides BBHs, the most promising GW sources are the coalescences of binary systems formed by two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole. These mergers are thought to be connected with short Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs), therefore combined observations of GW and electromagnetic (EM) signals could definitively probe this association. We present a detailed study on the expectations for joint GW and high-energy EM observations of coalescences of binary systems of neutron stars with Advanced Virgo and LIGO and with the \emph{Fermi} gamma-ray telescope. To this scope, we designed a dedicated Montecarlo simulation pipeline for the multimessenger emission and detection by GW and gamma-ray instruments, considering the evolution of the GW detector sensitivities. We show that the expected rate of joint detection is low during the Advanced Virgo and Advanced LIGO 2016-2017 run; however, as the interferometers approach their final design sensitivities, the rate will increase by $\sim$ a factor of ten. Future joint observations will help to constrain the association between short GRBs and binary systems and to solve the puzzle of the progenitors of GWs. Comparison of the joint detection rate with the ones predicted in this paper will help to constrain the geometry of the GRB jet., Comment: 24 pages, 4 figures

Despite their different nature and physics, blazars and gamma-ray bursts have in common very powerful relativistic jets, which make them the most luminous sources in the Universe. The energy extraction from the central compact object, the jet collimation, the role and geometry of the magnetic fields, the structure of the jet itself represent still big enough questions, that a complete paradigm cannot yet be drawn. This article is concerned with the main observational facts about blazars and gamma-ray burst jets, based on multi-wavelength campaigns, and on the clues one can glean from these on jet formation, behavior and powering. The future generation of telescopes and instruments and the contributions from multi-messenger investigation (astroparticle diagnostics and gravitational waves) will warrant further significant progress., Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, to be published in the Proceedings of the Conference "High-Energy Phenomena and Relativistic Outflows", held in La Plata, 5-8 October 2015, Eds. Gustavo Romero and Gabriela Vila

Photometric and spectroscopic observations of a slowly declining, luminous Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) SN 2011hr in the starburst galaxy NGC 2691 are presented. SN 2011hr is found to peak at $M_{B}=-19.84 \pm 0.40\,\rm{mag}$, with a post-maximum decline rate $\Delta$m$_{15}$(B) = 0.92 $\pm$ 0.03\,$\rm{mag}$. From the maximum-light bolometric luminosity, $L=(2.30 \pm 0.90) \times 10^{43}\,\rm{erg\,s^{-1}}$, we estimate the mass of synthesized \Nifs\ in SN 2011hr to be $M(\rm{^{56}Ni})=1.11 \pm 0.43\,M_{\sun}$. SN 2011hr appears more luminous than SN 1991T at around maximum light, and the absorption features from its intermediate-mass elements (IMEs) are noticeably weaker than the latter at similar phases. Spectral modeling suggests that SN 2011hr has the IMEs of $\sim$\,0.07 M$_{\sun}$ in the outer ejecta, which is much lower than the typical value of normal SNe Ia (i.e., 0.3 -- 0.4 M$_{\sun}$) and is also lower than the value of SN 1991T (i.e., $\sim$\,0.18 M$_{\sun}$). These results indicate that SN 2011hr may arise from a Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf progenitor that experienced a more efficient burning process in the explosion. Nevertheless, it is still possible that SN 2011hr may serve as a transitional object connecting the SN 1991T-like SNe Ia with the superluminous subclass like SN 2007if given that the latter also shows very weak IMEs at all phases., Comment: 13pages, 13figures. Accepted for publication in the ApJ

During the first few days after explosion, Type II supernovae (SNe) are dominated by relatively simple physics. Theoretical predictions regarding early-time SN light curves in the ultraviolet (UV) and optical bands are thus quite robust. We present, for the first time, a sample of $57$ $R$-band Type II SN light curves that are well monitored during their rise, having $>5$ detections during the first 10 days after discovery, and a well-constrained time of explosion to within $1-3$ days. We show that the energy per unit mass ($E/M$) can be deduced to roughly a factor of five by comparing early-time optical data to the model of Rabinak & Waxman (2011), while the progenitor radius cannot be determined based on $R$-band data alone. We find that Type II SN explosion energies span a range of $E/M=(0.2-20)\times 10^{51} \; \rm{erg/(10 M}_\odot$), and have a mean energy per unit mass of $\left\langle E/M \right\rangle = 0.85\times 10^{51} \; \rm{erg/(10 M}_\odot$), corrected for Malmquist bias. Assuming a small spread in progenitor masses, this indicates a large intrinsic diversity in explosion energy. Moreover, $E/M$ is positively correlated with the amount of $^{56}\rm{Ni}$ produced in the explosion, as predicted by some recent models of core-collapse SNe. We further present several empirical correlations. The peak magnitude is correlated with the decline rate ($\Delta m_{15}$), the decline rate is weakly correlated with the rise time, and the rise time is not significantly correlated with the peak magnitude. Faster declining SNe are more luminous and have longer rise times. This limits the possible power sources for such events., Comment: Accepted to ApJ

A new class of ultra-long duration (>10,000 s) gamma-ray bursts has recently been suggested. They may originate in the explosion of stars with much larger radii than normal long gamma-ray bursts or in the tidal disruptions of a star. No clear supernova had yet been associated with an ultra-long gamma-ray burst. Here we report that a supernova (2011kl) was associated with the ultra-long duration burst 111209A, at z=0.677. This supernova is more than 3 times more luminous than type Ic supernovae associated with long gamma-ray bursts, and its spectrum is distinctly different. The continuum slope resembles those of super-luminous supernovae, but extends farther down into the rest-frame ultra-violet implying a low metal content. The light curve evolves much more rapidly than super-luminous supernovae. The combination of high luminosity and low metal-line opacity cannot be reconciled with typical type Ic supernovae, but can be reproduced by a model where extra energy is injected by a strongly magnetized neutron star (a magnetar), which has also been proposed as the explanation for super-luminous supernovae., Comment: Table 1 only in printed version

We present our discovery of dramatic variability in SDSS J1100+4421 by the high-cadence transient survey Kiso Supernova Survey (KISS). The source brightened in the optical by at least a factor of three within about half a day. Spectroscopic observations suggest that this object is likely a narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy (NLS1) at z=0.840, however with unusually strong narrow emission lines. The estimated black hole mass of ~ 10^7 Msun implies bolometric nuclear luminosity close to the Eddington limit. SDSS J1100+4421 is also extremely radio-loud, with a radio loudness parameter of R ~ 4 x 10^2 - 3 x 10^3, which implies the presence of relativistic jets. Rapid and large-amplitude optical variability of the target, reminiscent of that found in a few radio- and gamma-ray loud NLS1s, is therefore produced most likely in a blazar-like core. The 1.4 GHz radio image of the source shows an extended structure with a linear size of about 100 kpc. If SDSS J1100+4421 is a genuine NLS1, as suggested here, this radio structure would then be the largest ever discovered in this type of active galaxies., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

The Kiso Supernova Survey (KISS) is a high-cadence optical wide-field supernova (SN) survey. The primary goal of the survey is to catch the very early light of a SN, during the shock breakout phase. Detection of SN shock breakouts combined with multi-band photometry obtained with other facilities would provide detailed physical information on the progenitor stars of SNe. The survey is performed using a 2.2x2.2 deg field-of-view instrument on the 1.05-m Kiso Schmidt telescope, the Kiso Wide Field Camera (KWFC). We take a three-minute exposure in g-band once every hour in our survey, reaching magnitude g~20-21. About 100 nights of telescope time per year have been spent on the survey since April 2012. The number of the shock breakout detections is estimated to be of order of 1 during our 3-year project. This paper summarizes the KISS project including the KWFC observing setup, the survey strategy, the data reduction system, and CBET-reported SNe discovered so far by KISS., Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables. Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan (PASJ) in press

The abundance distribution of the elements in the ejecta of the peculiar, luminous Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 1991T is obtained modelling spectra from before maximum light until a year after the explosion, with the method of "Abundance Tomography". SN 1991T is different from other slowly declining SNe Ia (e.g. SN 1999ee) in having a weaker Si II 6355 line and strong features of iron group elements before maximum. The distance to the SN is investigated along with the abundances and the density profile. The ionization transition that happens around maximum sets a strict upper limit on the luminosity. Both W7 and the WDD3 delayed detonation model are tested. WDD3 is found to provide marginally better fits. In this model the core of the ejecta is dominated by stable Fe with a mass of about 0.15 solar masses, as in most SNe Ia. The layer above is mainly 56Ni up to v~10000 km/s (~0.78 solar masses). A significant amount of 56Ni (~3 %) is located in the outer layers. A narrow layer between 10000 km/s and ~12000 km/s is dominated by intermediate mass elements (IME), ~0.18 solar masses. This is small for a SN Ia. The high luminosity and the consequently high ionization, and the high 56Ni abundance at high velocities explain the peculiar early-time spectra of SN 1991T. The outer part is mainly of oxygen, ~0.3 solar masses. Carbon lines are never detected, yielding an upper limit of 0.01 solar masses for C. The abundances obtained with the W7 density model are qualitatively similar to those of the WDD3 model. Different elements are stratified with moderate mixing, resembling a delayed detonation., Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS

BL Lac objects are active nuclei, hosted in massive elliptical galaxies, the emission of which is dominated by a relativistic jet closely aligned with the line of sight. This implies the existence of a parent population of sources with a misaligned jet, that have been identified with low-power radiogalaxies. The spectrum of BL Lacs, dominated by non-thermal emission over the whole electromagnetic range, together with bright compact radio cores, high luminosities, rapid and large amplitude flux variability at all frequencies and strong polarization make these sources an optimal laboratory for high energy astrophysics. A most distinctive characteristic of the class is the weakness or absence of spectral lines, that historically hindered the identification of their nature and ever thereafter proved to be a hurdle in the determination of their distance. In this paper we review the main observational facts that contribute to the present basic interpretation of this class of active galaxies. We overview the history of the BL Lac objects research field and their population as it emerged from multi-wavelength surveys. The properties of the flux variability and polarization, compared with those at radio, X-ray and gamma-ray frequencies, are summarized together with the present knowledge of the host galaxies, their environments, and central black hole masses. We focus this review on the optical observations, that played a crucial role in the early phase of BL Lacs studies, and, in spite of extensive radio, X-ray, and recently gamma-ray observations, could represent the future major contribution to the unveiling of the origin of these sources. In particular they could provide a firm conclusion on the long debated issue of the cosmic evolution of this class of active galactic nuclei and on the connection between formation of supermassive black holes and relativistic jets., Comment: 44 pages, 21 figure, to appear in The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review

Literature data are collated for 38 stripped-envelope core-collapse supernovae (SE SNe; i.e. SNe IIb, Ib, Ic and Ic-BL) that have good light curve coverage in more than one optical band. Using bolometric corrections derived in previous work, the bolometric light curve of each SN is recovered and template bolometric light curves provided. Peak light distributions and decay rates are investigated; SNe subtypes are not cleanly distinguished in this parameter space, although some grouping of types does occur and there is a suggestion of a Phillips-like relation for most SNe Ic-BL. The bolometric light curves are modelled with a simple analytical prescription and compared to results from more detailed modelling. Distributions of the explosion parameters shows the extreme nature of SNe Ic-BL in terms of their 56Ni mass and the kinetic energy, however ejected masses are similar to other subtypes. SNe Ib and Ic have very similar distributions of explosion parameters, indicating a similarity in progenitors. SNe~IIb are the most homogeneous subtype and have the lowest average values for 56Ni mass, ejected mass, and kinetic energy. Ejecta masses for each subtype and SE SNe as a whole are inconsistent with those expected from very massive stars. The majority of the ejecta mass distribution is well described by more moderately massive progenitors in binaries, indicating these are the dominant progenitor channel for SE SNe., Comment: Accepted to MNRAS. Model has been corrected due to initially following a typo present in the literature. Individual results are updated, with general conclusions largely unaffected. Discussion and comparison of results expanded

Most Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) detected by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope exhibit a delay of up to about 10 seconds between the trigger time of the hard X-ray signal as measured by the Fermi GBM and the onset of the MeV-GeV counterpart detected by the LAT. This delay may hint at important physics, whether it is due to the intrinsic variability of the inner engine or it is related to quantum dispersion effects in the velocity of light propagation from the sources to the observer. It is critical to have a proper assessment of how these time delays affect the overall properties of the light curves. We cross-correlated the 5 brightest GRBs of the 1st Fermi LAT Catalog by means of the continuous correlation function (CCF) and of the Discrete Correlation Function (DCF). A maximum in the DCF suggests the presence of a time lag between the curves, whose value and uncertainty are estimated through a Gaussian fitting of the DCF profile and light curve simulation via a Monte Carlo approach. The cross-correlation of the observed LAT and GBM light curves yields time lags that are mostly similar to those reported in the literature, but they are formally consistent with zero. The cross-correlation of the simulated light curves yields smaller errors on the time lags and more than one time lag for GRBs 090902B and 090926A; for all 5 GRBs, the time lags are significantly different from zero and consistent with those reported in the literature, when only the secondary maxima are considered for those two GRBs. The DCF method evidences the presence of time lags between the LAT and GBM light curves and underlines their complexity. While this suggests that the delays should be ascribed to intrinsic physical mechanisms, more sensitivity and larger statistics are needed to assess whether time lags are universally present in the early GRB emission and which dynamical time scales they trace., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are characterized by ultra-relativistic outflows, while supernovae are generally characterized by non-relativistic ejecta. GRB afterglows decelerate rapidly usually within days, because their low-mass ejecta rapidly sweep up a comparatively larger mass of circumstellar material. However supernovae, with heavy ejecta, can be in nearly free expansion for centuries. Supernovae were thought to have non-relativistic outflows except for few relativistic ones accompanied by GRBs. This clear division was blurred by SN 2009bb, the first supernova with a relativistic outflow without an observed GRB. Yet the ejecta from SN 2009bb was baryon loaded, and in nearly-free expansion for a year, unlike GRBs. We report the first supernova discovered without a GRB, but with rapidly decelerating mildly relativistic ejecta, SN 2012ap. We discovered a bright and rapidly evolving radio counterpart driven by the circumstellar interaction of the relativistic ejecta. However, we did not find any coincident GRB with an isotropic fluence of more than a sixth of the fluence from GRB 980425. This shows for the first time that central engines in type Ic supernovae, even without an observed GRB, can produce both relativistic and rapidly decelerating outflows like GRBs., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in ApJ

We discuss the results of the analysis of multi-wavelength data for the afterglows of GRB 081007 and GRB 090424, two bursts detected by Swift. One of them, GRB 081007, also shows a spectroscopically confirmed supernova, SN 2008hw, which resembles SN 1998bw in its absorption features, while the maximum luminosity is only about half as large as that of SN 1998bw. Bright optical flashes have been detected in both events, which allows us to derive solid constraints on the circumburst-matter density profile. This is particularly interesting in the case of GRB 081007, whose afterglow is found to be propagating into a constant-density medium, yielding yet another example of a GRB clearly associated with a massive star progenitor which did not sculpt the surroundings with its stellar wind. There is no supernova component detected in the afterglow of GRB 090424, likely due to the brightness of the host galaxy, comparable to the Milky Way. We show that the afterglow data are consistent with the presence of both forward- and reverse-shock emission powered by relativistic outflows expanding into the interstellar medium. The absence of optical peaks due to the forward shock strongly suggests that the reverse shock regions should be mildly magnetized. The initial Lorentz factor of outflow of GRB 081007 is estimated to be \Gamma ~ 200, while for GRB 090424 a lower limit of \Gamma > 170 is derived. We also discuss the prompt emission of GRB 081007, which consists of just a single pulse. We argue that neither the external forward-shock model nor the shock-breakout model can account for the prompt emission data and suggest that the single-pulse-like prompt emission may be due to magnetic energy dissipation of a Poynting-flux dominated outflow or to a dissipative photosphere., Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

SN2010ah, a very broad-lined type Ic SN discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory, was interesting because of its relatively high luminosity and the high velocity of the absorption lines, which was comparable to that of GRB/SNe, suggesting a high explosion kinetic energy. However, no GRB was detected in association with the SN. Here, the properties of SN2010ah are determined with higher accuracy than previous studies through modelling. New Subaru telescope photometry is presented. A bolometric light curve is constructed taking advantage of the spectral similarity with SN1998bw. Radiation transport tools are used to reproduce the spectra and the light curve. The results thus obtained regarding ejecta mass, composition and kinetic energy are then used to compute a synthetic light curve. This is in reasonable agreement with the early bolometric light curve of SN2010ah, but a high abundance of 56Ni at high velocity is required to reproduce the early rise, while a dense inner core must be used to reproduce the slow decline at late phases. The high-velocity 56Ni cannot have been located on our line of sight, which may be indirect evidence for an off-axis, aspherical explosion. The main properties of SN2010ah are: ejected mass ~ 3 Mo; kinetic energy ~10^52 erg, M(56Ni) ~ 0.25 Mo. The mass located at v >~ 0.1c is ~0.2 Mo. Although these values, in particular the kinetic energy, are quite large for a SN Ic, they are all smaller (especially the ejecta mass) than those typical of GRB/SNe. This confirms the tendency for these quantities to correlate, and suggests that there are minimum requirements for a GRB/SN, which SN2010ah may not meet although it comes quite close. Depending on whether a neutron star or a black hole was formed following core collapse, SN2010ah was the explosion of a CO core of ~ 5-6 Mo, pointing to a progenitor mass of ~24 - 28 Mo., Comment: MNRAS, in press

The Italian communities engaged in Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) and supernova research have been using actively the ESO telescopes and have contributed to improve and refine the observing techniques and even to guide the characteristics and performances of the instruments that were developed. Members of these two communities have recently found ground for a close collaboration on the powerful supernovae that underlie some GRBs. I will review the programs that have led to some important discoveries and milestones on thermonuclear and core-collapse supernovae and on GRBs., Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, Invited talk at EWASS 2012, Symposium 10 "30 years of Italian participation to ESO" (Org. V. Mainieri), to be published in the on-line version of Supplements of the "Memorie della societa` astronomica italiana"

We present the discovery and extensive early-time observations of the Type Ic supernova (SN) PTF12gzk. Our finely sampled light curves show a rise of 0.8mag within 2.5hr. Power-law fits [f(t)\sim(t-t_0)^n] to these data constrain the explosion date to within one day. We cannot rule out the expected quadratic fireball model, but higher values of n are possible as well for larger areas in the fit parameter space. Our bolometric light curve and a dense spectral sequence are used to estimate the physical parameters of the exploding star and of the explosion. We show that the photometric evolution of PTF12gzk is slower than that of most SNe Ic, and its high ejecta velocities (~30,000km/s four days after explosion) are closer to the observed velocities of broad-lined SNe Ic associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) than to the observed velocities in normal Type Ic SNe. The high velocities are sustained through the SN early evolution, and are similar to those of GRB-SNe when the SN reach peak magnitude. By comparison with the spectroscopically similar SN 2004aw, we suggest that the observed properties of PTF12gzk indicate an initial progenitor mass of 25-35 solar mass and a large (5-10E51 erg) kinetic energy, close to the regime of GRB-SN properties. The host-galaxy characteristics are consistent with GRB-SN hosts, and not with normal SN Ic hosts as well, yet this SN does not show the broad lines over extended periods of time that are typical of broad-line Type Ic SNe.

We study the multi-dimensional geometry of supernova (SN) explosions by means of spectropolarimetric observations of stripped-envelope SNe, i.e., SNe without a H-rich layer. We perform spectropolarimetric observations of 2 stripped-envelope SNe, the Type Ib SN 2009jf and the Type Ic SN 2009mi. Both objects show non-zero polarization at the wavelength of the strong lines. They also show a loop in the Stokes Q-U diagram, which indicates a non-axisymmetric, three-dimensional ion distribution in the ejecta. We show that five out of six stripped-envelope SNe which have been observed spectropolarimetrically so far show such a loop. This implies that a three-dimensional geometry is common in stripped-envelope SNe. We find that stronger lines tend to show higher polarization. This effect is not related to the geometry, and must be corrected to compare the polarization of different lines or different objects. Even after the correction, however, there remains a dispersion of polarization degree among different objects. Such a dispersion might be caused by three-dimensional clumpy ion distributions viewed from different directions., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 10 pages

We present the spectroscopic and photometric evolution of the nearby (z = 0.059) spectroscopically confirmed type Ic supernova, SN 2010bh, associated with the soft, long-duration gamma-ray burst (X-ray flash) GRB 100316D. Intensive follow-up observations of SN 2010bh were performed at the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) using the X-shooter and FORS2 instruments. Owing to the detailed temporal coverage and the extended wavelength range (3000--24800 A), we obtained an unprecedentedly rich spectral sequence among the hypernovae, making SN 2010bh one of the best studied representatives of this SN class. We find that SN 2010bh has a more rapid rise to maximum brightness (8.0 +/- 1.0 rest-frame days) and a fainter absolute peak luminosity (L_bol~3e42 erg/s) than previously observed SN events associated with GRBs. Our estimate of the ejected (56)Ni mass is 0.12 +/- 0.02 Msun. From the broad spectral features we measure expansion velocities up to 47,000 km/s, higher than those of SNe 1998bw (GRB 980425) and 2006aj (GRB 060218). Helium absorption lines He I lambda5876 and He I 1.083 microm, blueshifted by ~20,000--30,000 km/s and ~28,000--38,000 km/s, respectively, may be present in the optical spectra. However, the lack of coverage of the He I 2.058 microm line prevents us from confirming such identifications. The nebular spectrum, taken at ~186 days after the explosion, shows a broad but faint [O I] emission at 6340 A. The light-curve shape and photospheric expansion velocities of SN 2010bh suggest that we witnessed a highly energetic explosion with a small ejected mass (E_k ~ 1e52 erg and M_ej ~ 3 Msun). The observed properties of SN 2010bh further extend the heterogeneity of the class of GRB supernovae., Comment: 37 pages and 12 figures (one-column pre-print format), accepted for publication in ApJ

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) have been used empirically as standardized candles to reveal the accelerating universe even though fundamental details, such as the nature of the progenitor system and how the star explodes, remained a mystery. There is consensus that a white dwarf star explodes after accreting matter in a binary system, but the secondary could be anything from a main sequence star to a red giant, or even another white dwarf. The uncertainty stems from the fact that no recent SN Ia has been discovered close enough to detect the stars before explosion. Here we report early observations of SN 2011fe (PTF11kly) in M101 at a distance of 6.4 Mpc, the closest SN Ia in the past 25 years. We find that the exploding star was likely a carbon-oxygen white dwarf, and from the lack of an early shock we conclude that the companion was most likely a main sequence star. Early spectroscopy shows high-velocity oxygen that varies on a time scale of hours and extensive mixing of newly synthesized intermediate mass elements in the outermost layers of the supernova. A companion paper uses pre-explosion images to rule out luminous red giants and most helium stars as companions., Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, in press

We present optical, near-infrared, and Spitzer IRAC and MIPS observations of the host galaxy of the dark gamma-ray burst GRB 080207. The host is faint, with extremely red optical-infrared colors ($R-K\,=\,6.3$, 24\micron/$R-$band flux $\sim1000$) making it an extremely red object (ERO) and a dust-obscured galaxy (DOG). The spectral energy distribution (SED) shows the clear signature of the 1.6 micron photometric "bump", typical of evolved stellar populations. We use this bump to establish the photometric redshift $z_{\rm phot}$ as 2.2$^{+0.2}_{-0.3}$, using a vast library of SED templates, including M 82. The star-formation rate (SFR) inferred from the SED fitting is $\sim$119\msun\,yr$^{-1}$, the stellar mass $3\times10^{11}$\,\msun, and \av\ extinction from 1-2\,mag. The ERO and DOG nature of the host galaxy of the dark GRB 080207 may be emblematic of a distinct class of dark GRB hosts, with high SFRs, evolved and metal-rich stellar populations, and significant dust extinction within the host galaxy., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

On May 31, 2011 UT a supernova (SN) exploded in the nearby galaxy M51 (the Whirlpool Galaxy). We discovered this event using small telescopes equipped with CCD cameras, as well as by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) survey, and rapidly confirmed it to be a Type II supernova. Our early light curve and spectroscopy indicates that PTF11eon resulted from the explosion of a relatively compact progenitor star as evidenced by the rapid shock-breakout cooling seen in the light curve, the relatively low temperature in early-time spectra and the prompt appearance of low-ionization spectral features. The spectra of PTF11eon are dominated by H lines out to day 10 after explosion, but initial signs of He appear to be present. Assuming that He lines continue to develop in the near future, this SN is likely a member of the cIIb (compact IIb; Chevalier and Soderberg 2010) class, with progenitor radius larger than that of SN 2008ax and smaller than the eIIb (extended IIb) SN 1993J progenitor. Our data imply that the object identified in pre-explosion Hubble Space Telescope images at the SN location is possibly a companion to the progenitor or a blended source, and not the progenitor star itself, as its radius (~10^13 cm) would be highly inconsistent with constraints from our post-explosion photometric and spectroscopic data.

We investigate the constraints imposed on the luminosity function (LF) of long duration Gamma Ray Bursts (LGRBs) by the flux distribution of bursts detected by the GBM at ~1 MeV, and the implications of the non detection of the vast majority, ~95%, of the LGRBs at higher energy, ~1 GeV, by the LAT detector. We find a LF that is consistent with those determined by BATSE and Swift. The non detections by LAT set upper limits on the ratio R of the prompt fluence at ~1 GeV to that at ~1 MeV. The upper limits are more stringent for brighter bursts, with R<{0.1,0.3,1} for {5,30,60}% of the bursts. This implies that for most bursts the prompt ~1 GeV emission may be comparable to the ~1 MeV emission, but can not dominate it. The value of R is not universal, with a spread of (at least) an order of magnitude around R~10^(-1). For several bright bursts with reliable determination of the photon spectral index at ~1 MeV, the LAT non detection implies an upper limit to the ~100 MeV flux which is <0.1 of the flux obtained by extrapolating the ~1 MeV flux to high energy. For the widely accepted models, in which the ~1 MeV power-law photon spectrum reflects the power-law energy distribution of fast cooling electrons, this suggests that either the electron energy distribution does not follow a power-law over a wide energy range, or that the high energy photons are absorbed. Requiring an order unity pair production optical depth at ~100 MeV sets an upper limit for the Lorentz factor, Gamma<=10^(2.5)., Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures. Submitted to A&A

We compare the luminosity function and rate inferred from the GBM long bursts peak flux distribution with those inferred from the Swift and BATSE peak flux distribution. We find that the GBM, BATSE and the Swift peak fluxes can be fitted by the same luminosity function implying the consistency of these three samples. Using the trigger algorithm of the LAT instrument we derive important information on the flux at 100 MeV compared to lower energy detected by the GBM. We find that the simple extension of the synchrotron emission to high energy cannot justify the low rate of GRBs detected by LAT and for several GRBs detected by the GBM, the flux at >100 MeV should be suppressed. Two bursts, GRB090217 and GRB 090202B, detected by LAT have very soft spectra in the GBM and therefore their high energy emission cannot be due to an extension of the synchrotron., Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures. Proceeding for the workshop "7th Agile Meeting & The Bright Gamma-Ray Sky" Frascati, Italy, 29 September- 1 October 2009

We have observed four low-luminosity active galactic nuclei classified as Type 1 LINERs with the X-ray Telescope (XRT) and the UltraViolet-Optical Telescope (UVOT) onboard Swift, in an attempt to clarify the main powering mechanism of this class of nearby sources. Among our targets, we detect X-ray variability in NGC 3998 for the first time. The light curves of this object reveal variations of up to 30% amplitude in half a day, with no significant spectral variability on this time scale. We also observe a decrease of ~30% over 9 days, with significant spectral softening. Moreover, the X-ray flux is ~40% lower than observed in previous years. Variability is detected in M 81 as well, at levels comparable to those reported previously: a flux increase in the hard X-rays (1-10 keV) of 30% in ~3 hours and variations by up to a factor of 2 within a few years. This X-ray behaviour is similar to that of higher-luminosity, Seyfert-type, objects. Using previous high-angular-resolution imaging data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we evaluate the diffuse UV emission due to the host galaxy and isolate the nuclear flux in our UVOT observations. All sources are detected in the UV band, at levels similar to those of the previous observations with HST. The XRT (0.2-10 keV) spectra are well described by single power-laws and the UV-to-X-ray flux ratios are again consistent with those of Seyferts and radio-loud AGNs of higher luminosity. The similarity in X-ray variability and broad-band energy distributions suggests the presence of similar accretion and radiation processes in low- and high-luminosity AGNs., Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, in press in MNRAS

We observed the massive binary stellar system of Eta Carinae in the 0.3-10 keV energy range with the X-ray Telescope onboard the Swift satellite during the period 15 December 2008 - 11 March 2009, i.e. 1 month before to 2 months after the X-ray drop from maximum to minimum, thought to be associated with the periastron encounter of the primary star by the hot companion. Beginning a few months before eclipse, the interaction between the winds of the two stars intensifies and the X-ray flux reaches maximum. The flux drops dramatically thereafter, subsiding in about 20 days to a level that is at least a factor 10 lower than the 'high state', i.e. the X-ray emission state of the system during the largest fraction of its 5.52 yr orbit (~e-11 erg/s/cm2). Unlike in previous cycles, when the low state lasted about 2.5 months, observations with RXTE showed that the X-ray flux started its recovery to normal level about 1.5 months after the minimum. We suggest that this early recovery may be due to the fact that the companion wind reaches terminal velocity before encountering the shock., Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to be published in the proceedings of Conf. "Neutron Stars and Gamma-Ray Bursts" - Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt, 30 Mar-4 Apr 2009, Eds. A. Ibrahim and J. Grindlay

We present the first spectropolarimetric observations of a candidate of super-Chandrasekhar mass Type Ia supernova (SN): SN 2009dc. The observations were performed at 5.6 and 89.5 days after the B-band maximum. The data taken at the later epoch are used to determine the interstellar polarization. Continuum polarization is found to be small (<0.3 %), indicating that the explosion is nearly spherically symmetric. This fact suggests that a very aspherical explosion is not a likely scenario for SN 2009dc. Polarization at the Si II and Ca II lines clearly shows a loop in the Q-U plane, indicating a non-axisymmetric, clumpy distribution of intermediate-mass elements. The degree of line polarization at the Si and Ca line is moderate (0.5% +- 0.1% and 0.7% +- 0.1%, respectively), but it is higher than expected from the trend of other Type Ia SNe. This may suggest that there are thick enough, clumpy Si-rich layers above the thick 56Ni-rich layers (>~ 1.2 Msun). The observed spectropolarimetric properties, combined with the photometric and spectroscopic properties, suggest that the progenitor of SN 2009dc has a super-Chandrasekhar mass, and that the explosion geometry is globally spherically symmetric, with clumpy distribution of intermediate-mass elements., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, The Astrophysical Journal, in press

We report simultaneous multi-frequency observations of the blazar PG 1553+113, that were carried out in March-April 2008. Optical, X-ray, high-energy (HE; greater than 100 MeV) gamma-ray, and very-high- energy (VHE; greater than 100 GeV) gamma-ray data were obtained with the KVA, REM, RossiXTE/ASM, AGILE and MAGIC telescopes. This is the first simultaneous broad-band (i.e., HE+VHE) gamma-ray observation of a blazar. The source spectral energy distribution derived combining these data shows the usual double-peak shape, and is interpreted in the framework of a synchrotron-self-Compton model., Comment: Contribution to the 31st ICRC, Lodz, Poland, July 2009

We present an optical spectropolarimetric observation of the unique Type Ib supernova (SN) 2005bf at 8 days after the second maximum. The data, combined with the polarization spectrum taken at 6 days before the second maximum (Maund et al. 2007a), enable us to closely examine the intrinsic properties of the SN. The polarization percentage is smaller at the later epoch over a wide wavelength range, while the position angle is similar at the two epochs. We find that an assumption of complete depolarization of strong lines at the emission peak is not necessarily correct. The intrinsic polarization of the SN is larger, and thus, the ejecta of SN 2005bf would be more asymmetric than previously expected. The axis ratio of the photosphere projected on the sky deviates from unity by at least 20 %. If the position angle of interstellar polarization is aligned with the spiral arm of the host galaxy, the deviation is larger than 25 %. The line polarization at the He I, Ca II and Fe II lines is also smaller at the later epoch. The changes in the position angle across these lines, which were observed at the earlier epoch, are still marginally present at the later epoch. The similar polarimetric behavior suggests that the distributions of these ions are correlated. Properties of polarization, as well as the light curve and the spectra both at photospheric and nebular phases, can be explained by an aspherical, possibly unipolar explosion of a WN star in which the blob of 56Ni penetrates C+O core and stops within the He layer., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJ