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Item The ACS Survey Of Galactic Globular Clusters. VI. NGC 6366: A Heavily Stripped Galactic Globular Cluster(2009-01) Paust, Nathaniel E. Q.; Aparicio, Antonio; Piotto, Giampaolo; Reid, I. Neill; Anderson, Jay; Sarajedini, Ata; Bedin, Luigi R.; Chaboyer, Brian; Dotter, Aaron; Hempel, Maren; Majewski, Steven; Marin-Franch, A.; Milone, Antonio; Rosenberg, Alfred; Siegel, Michael; Siegel, MichaelWe have used observations obtained as part of the Hubble Space Telescope/ACS Survey of Galactic globular clusters (GCs) to construct a color-magnitude diagram for the bulge cluster, NGC 6366. The luminosity function derived from those data extends to M(F606W) similar to 9, or masses of similar to 0.3 M(circle dot). Unlike most GCs, the mass function peaks near the main-sequence turnoff with significantly fewer low-mass stars even after correction for completeness and mass segregation. Using a multimass King model, we extrapolate the global cluster behavior and find the global mass function to be poorly matched by a power law, with a particular deficit of stars with masses between 0.5 and 0.7 M(circle dot). We briefly discuss this interesting anomaly within the context of tidal stripping.Item Adaptive Optics Imaging Of Quasi-Stellar Objects With Double-Peaked Narrow Lines: Are They Dual Active Galactic Nuclei?(2011-09) Rosario, D. J.; McGurk, R. C.; Max, C. E.; Shields, Gregory A.; Smith, K. L.; Ammons, S. M.; Shields, Gregory A.; Smith, K. L.Active galaxies hosting two accreting and merging supermassive black holes (SMBHs)-dual active galactic nuclei (AGNs)-are predicted by many current and popular models of black-hole-galaxy co-evolution. We present here the results of a program that has identified a set of probable dual AGN candidates based on near-infrared laser guide star adaptive optics imaging with the Keck II telescope. These candidates are selected from a complete sample of radio-quiet quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), which show double-peaked narrow AGN emission lines. Of the 12 AGNs imaged, we find 6 with double galaxy structure, of which four are in galaxy mergers. We measure the ionization of the two velocity components in the narrow AGN lines to test the hypothesis that both velocity components come from an active nucleus. The combination of a well-defined parent sample and high-quality imaging allows us to place constraints on the fraction of SDSS QSOs that host dual accreting black holes separated on kiloparsec scales: similar to 0.3%-0.65%. We derive from this fraction the time spent in a QSO phase during a typical merger and find a value that is much lower than estimates that arise from QSO space densities and galaxy merger statistics. We discuss possible reasons for this difference. Finally, we compare the SMBH mass distributions of single and dual AGNs and find little difference between the two within the limited statistics of our program, hinting that most SMBH growth happens in the later stages of a merger process.Item Analytical Light Curve Models Of Superluminous Supernovae: Chi(2)-Minimization Of Parameter Fits(2013-08) Chatzopoulos, Emmanouil; Wheeler, J. Craig; Vinko, Jozsef; Horvath, Z. L.; Nagy, A.; Chatzopoulos, Emmanouil; Wheeler, J. Craig; Vinko, JozsefWe present fits of generalized semi-analytic supernova (SN) light curve (LC) models for a variety of power inputs including Ni-56 and Co-56 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.Item The Birth Place of the Type Ic Supernova 2007Gr(2008-01) Crockett, R. Mark; Maund, Justyn R.; Smartt, Steven J.; Mattila, Seppo; Pastorello, Andrea; Smoker, Jonathan; Stephens, Andrew W.; Fynbo, Johan; Eldridge, John J.; Danziger, I. John; Benn, Christopher R.; Danziger, I. JohnWe report our attempts to locate the progenitor of the peculiar Type Ic SN 2007gr in Hubble Space Telescope (HST) preexplosion images of the host galaxy, NGC 1058. Aligning adaptive optics Altair/NIRI imaging of SN 2007gr from the Gemini ( North) Telescope with the preexplosion HST WFPC2 images, we identify the supernova (SN) position on the HST frames with an accuracy of 20 mas. Although nothing is detected at the SN position, we show that it lies on the edge of a bright source 134 +/- 23 mas (6.9 pc) from its nominal center. On the basis of its luminosity, we suggest that this object is possibly an unresolved, compact, and coeval cluster and that the SN progenitor was a cluster member, although we note that model profile fitting favors a single bright star. We find two solutions for the age of this assumed cluster: 7 -/+ 0.5 Myr and 20 - 30 Myr, with turnoff masses of 28 +/- M(circle dot) and 12 - 9 M(circle dot), respectively. Preexplosion ground-based K- band images marginally favor the younger cluster 4 age/higher turnoff mass. Assuming the SN progenitor was a cluster member, the turnoff mass provides the best estimate for its initial mass. More detailed observations, after the SN has faded, should determine whether the progenitor was indeed part of a cluster and, if so, allow an age estimate to within similar to 2 Myr, thereby favoring either a high-mass single star or lower-mass interacting binary progenitor.Item CfAIR2: Near-Infrared Light Curves of 94 Type Ia Supernovae(2015-09) Friedman, Andrew S.; Wood-Vasey, W. M.; Marion, G. H.; Challis, Peter; Mandel, Kaisey S.; Bloom, Joshua S.; Modjaz, Maryam; Narayan, Gautham; Hicken, Malcom; Foley, Ryan J.; Klein, Christopher R.; Starr, Dan L.; Morgan, Adam; Rest, Armin; Blake, Cullen H.; Miller, Adam A.; Falco, Emilio E.; Wyatt, William F.; Mink, Jessica; Skrutskie, Mmichael F.; Kirshner, Rrobert P.; Marion, G. H.CfAIR2 is a large, homogeneously reduced set of near-infrared (NIR) light curves (LCs) for Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) obtained with the 1.3 m Peters Automated InfraRed Imaging TELescope. This data set includes 4637 measurements of 94 SNe Ia and 4 additional SNe Iax observed from 2005 to 2011 at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory on Mount Hopkins, Arizona. CfAIR2 includes JHKs photometric measurements for 88 normal and 6 spectroscopically peculiar SN Ia in the nearby universe, with a median redshift of z similar to 0.021 for the normal SN Ia. CfAIR2 data span the range from -13 days to +127 days from B-band maximum. More than half of the LCs begin before the time of maximum, and the coverage typically contains similar to 13-18 epochs of observation, depending on the filter. We present extensive tests that verify the fidelity of the CfAIR2 data pipeline, including comparison to the excellent data of the Carnegie Supernova Project. CfAIR2 contributes to a firm local anchor for SN cosmology studies in the NIR. Because SN Ia are more nearly standard candles in the NIR and are less vulnerable to the vexing problems of extinction by dust, CfAIR2 will help the SN cosmology community develop more precise and accurate extragalactic distance probes to improve our knowledge of cosmological parameters, including dark energy and its potential time variation.Item Collapsar Accretion And The Gamma-Ray Burst X-Ray Light Curve(2010-04) Lindner, Christopher C.; Milosavljevic, Milos; Couch, Sean M.; Kumar, Pawan; Lindner, Christopher C.; Milosavljevic, Milos; Couch, Sean M.; Kumar, PawanWe present axisymmetric hydrodynamical simulations of the long-term accretion of a rotating gamma-ray burst (GRB) progenitor star, a "collapsar," onto the central compact object, which we take to be a black hole. The simulations were carried out with the adaptive-mesh-refinement code FLASH in two spatial dimensions and with an explicit shear viscosity. The evolution of the central accretion rate exhibits phases reminiscent of the long GRB gamma-ray and X-ray light curve, which lends support to the proposal by Kumar et al. that the luminosity is modulated by the central accretion rate. In the first "prompt" phase, the black hole acquires most of its final mass through supersonic quasiradial accretion occurring at a steady rate of similar to 0.2 M(circle dot)s(-1). After a few tens of seconds, an accretion shock sweeps outward through the star. The formation and outward expansion of the accretion shock is accompanied with a sudden and rapid power-law decline in the central accretion rate (M) over dot proportional to t(-2.8), which resembles the L(X) proportional to t(-3) decline observed in the X-ray light curves. The collapsed, shock-heated stellar envelope settles into a thick, low-mass equatorial disk embedded within amassive, pressure-supported atmosphere. After a few hundred seconds, the inflow of low angular momentum material in the axial funnel reverses into an outflow from the thick disk. Meanwhile, the rapid decline of the accretion rate slows down, which is potentially suggestive of the "plateau" phase in the X-ray light curve. We complement our adiabatic simulations with an analytical model that takes into account the cooling by neutrino emission and estimate that the duration of the prompt phase can be similar to 20 s. The model suggests that the steep decline in GRB X-ray light curves is triggered by the circularization of the infalling stellar envelope at radii where the virial temperature is below 10(10) K, such that neutrino cooling is inefficient and an outward expansion of the accretion shock becomes imminent; GRBs with longer prompt gamma-ray emission should have more slowly rotating envelopes.Item Constraining The Ly Alpha Escape Fraction With Far- Infrared Observations Of Ly Alpha Emitters(2014-05) Wardlow, Julie L.; Malhotra, Sangeeta; Zheng, Z.; Finkelstein, Steven L.; Bock, J.; Bridge, Carrie; Calanog, J.; Ciardullo, Robin; Conley, A.; Cooray, Asantha; Farrah, D.; Gawiser, Eric; Gronwall, Caryl; Heinis, S.; Ibar, E.; Ivison, Rob J.; Marsden, G.; Oliver, S. J.; Rhoads, J.; Riechers, D.; Schulz, B.; Smith, A. J.; Viero, M.; Wang, Lifan; Zemcov, M.; Finkelstein, Steven L.We study the far-infrared properties of 498 Ly alpha emitters (LAEs) at z = 2.8, 3.1, and 4.5 in the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South, using 250, 350, and 500 mu m data from the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey and 870 mu m data from the LABOCA ECDFS Submillimeter Survey. None of the 126, 280, or 92 LAEs at z = 2.8, 3.1, and 4.5, respectively, are individually detected in the far-infrared data. We use stacking to probe the average emission to deeper flux limits, reaching 1 sigma depths of similar to 0.1 to 0.4 mJy. The LAEs are also undetected at >= 3 sigma in the stacks, although a 2.5 sigma signal is observed at 870 mu m for the z = 2.8 sources. We consider a wide range of far-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs), including an M82 and an Sd galaxy template, to determine upper limits on the far-infrared luminosities and far-infrared-derived star formation rates of the LAEs. These star formation rates are then combined with those inferred from the Ly alpha and UV emission to determine lower limits on the LAEs' Lya escape fraction (f(esc)(Ly alpha)). For the Sd SED template, the inferred LAEs fesc(Ly alpha) are greater than or similar to 30% (1 sigma) at z = 2.8, 3.1, and 4.5, which are all significantly higher than the global fesc(Ly alpha) at these redshifts. Thus, if the LAEs fesc(Ly alpha) follows the global evolution, then they have warmer far-infrared SEDs than the Sd galaxy template. The average and M82 SEDs produce lower limits on the LAE fesc(Ly alpha) of similar to 10%-20% (1 sigma), all of which are slightly higher than the global evolution of fesc(Ly alpha), but consistent with it at the 2 sigma-3 sigma level.Item Demographics of Bulge Types Within 11 Mpc and Implications for Galaxy Evolution(2011-06) Fisher, David B.; Drory, Niv; Fisher, David B.We present an inventory of galaxy bulge types (elliptical galaxy, classical bulge, pseudobulge, and bulgeless galaxy) in a volume-limited sample within the local 11 Mpc sphere using Spitzer 3.6 mu m and Hubble Space Telescope data. We find that whether counting by number, star Formation rate, or stellar mass, the dominant galaxy type in the local universe has pure disk characteristics (either hosting a pseudobulge or being bulgeless). Galaxies that contain either a pseudobulge or no bulge combine to account for over 80% of the number of galaxies above a stellar mass of 10(9) M-circle dot. Classical bulges and elliptical galaxies account for similar to 1/4, and disks for similar to 3/4 of the stellar mass in the local 11 Mpc. About 2/3 of all star Formation in the local volume takes place in galaxies with pseudobulges. Looking at the fraction of galaxies with different bulge types as a function of stellarmass, we find that the frequency of classical bulges strongly increases with stellar mass, and comes to dominate above 10(10.5) M-circle dot. Galaxies with pseudobulges dominate at 10(9.5)-10(10.5) M-circle dot. Yet lower-mass galaxies are most likely to be bulgeless. If pseudobulges are not a product of mergers, then the frequency of pseudobulges in the local universe poses a challenge for galaxy evolution models.Item Discovery Of Pulsations, Including Possible Pressure Modes, In Two New Extremely Low Mass, He-Core White Dwarfs(2013-03) Hermes, J. J.; Montgomery, Michael H.; Winget, D. E.; Brown, Warren R.; Gianninas, A.; Kilic, Mukremin; Kenyon, S. J.; Bell, Keaton J.; Harrold, Samuel T.; Hermes, J. J.; Montgomery, Michael H.; Winget, D. E.; Bell, Keaton J.; Harrold, Samuel T.We report the discovery of the second and third pulsating extremely low mass (ELM) white dwarfs (WDs), SDSS J111215.82+111745.0 (hereafter J1112) and SDSS J151826.68+065813.2 (hereafter J1518). Both have masses < 0.25 M-circle dot and effective temperatures below 10,000 K, establishing these putatively He-core WDs as a cooler class of pulsating hydrogen-atmosphere WDs (DAVs, or ZZ Ceti stars). The short-period pulsations evidenced in the light curve of J1112 may also represent the first observation of acoustic (p-mode) pulsations in any WD, which provide an exciting opportunity to probe this WD in a complimentary way compared to the long-period g-modes that are also present. J1112 is a T-eff = 9590 +/- 140 K and log g = 6.36 +/- 0.06 WD. The star displays sinusoidal variability at five distinct periodicities between 1792 and 2855 s. In this star, we also see short-period variability, strongest at 134.3 s, well short of the expected g-modes for such a low-mass WD. The other new pulsating WD, J1518, is a Teff = 9900 +/- 140 K and log g = 6.80 +/- 0.05 WD. The light curve of J1518 is highly non-sinusoidal, with at least seven significant periods between 1335 and 3848 s. Consistent with the expectation that ELM WDs must be formed in binaries, these two new pulsating He-core WDs, in addition to the prototype SDSS J184037.78+642312.3, have close companions. However, the observed variability is inconsistent with tidally induced pulsations and is so far best explained by the same hydrogen partial-ionization driving mechanism at work in classic C/O-core ZZ Ceti stars.Item Dissipation and Extra Light in Galactic Nuclei. III. "Core" Ellipticals and "Missing" Light(2009-04) Hopkins, Philip F.; Lauer, Tod R.; Cox, Thomas J.; Hernquist, Lars; Kormendy, John; Kormendy, JohnWe investigate how "extra" or "excess" central light in the surface brightness profiles of cusp or power-law elliptical galaxies relates to the profiles of ellipticals with cores. The envelopes of cusp ellipticals are established by violent relaxation in mergers acting on stars present in gas-rich progenitor disks, while their centers are structured by the relics of dissipational, compact starbursts. Ellipticals with cores are formed by the subsequent merging of the now gas-poor cusp ellipticals, with the fossil starburst components combining to preserve a dense, compact component in these galaxies as well ( although mixing of stars smooths the transition from the outer to inner components in the profiles). By comparing extensive hydrodynamical simulations to observed profiles spanning a broad mass range, we show how to observationally isolate and characterize the relic starburst component in core ellipticals. Our method recovers the younger starburst population, demonstrating that these dense concentrations survive spheroid-spheroid mergers and reflect the degree of dissipation in the initial mergers that formed the penultimate galaxy progenitors. The degree of dissipation in the mergers that produced the cusp ellipticals is a strong function of stellar mass, roughly tracing the observed gas fractions of disks of the same mass over redshifts z similar to 0-2. The strength of this component strongly correlates with effective radius at fixed mass: systems with more dissipation are more compact, sufficient to explain the discrepancy in the maximum phase-space densities of ellipticals and their progenitor spirals. The survival of this component together with scattering of stars into the envelope in re-mergers naturally explain the high-Sersic index profile shapes characteristic of very massive core ellipticals. This is also closely related to the kinematics and isophotal shapes: only systems with matched starburst components from their profile fits also reproduce the observed kinematics of boxy/core ellipticals. The final "core-scouring" phase of core Formation occurs when a black hole binary formed in the merger scatters stars out of the innermost regions of the extra-light component. It is therefore critical to adopt a physically motivated profile decomposition that accounts for the fossil starburst component when attempting to quantify scouring. We show that estimates of the scoured mass that employ single-component forms fitted to the entire galaxy profile can be strongly biased.Item Emission From Pair-Instability Supernovae With Rotation(2015-01) Chatzopoulos, Emmanouil; van Rossum, Daniel R.; Wheeler, Craig J.; Whalen, Daniel J.; Smidt, Joseph; Wiggins, Brandon; Wheeler, Craig J.Pair-instability supernovae (PISNe) have been suggested as candidates for some superluminous supernovae, such as SN 2007bi, and as one of the dominant types of explosion occurring in the early universe from massive, zero-metallicity Population III stars. The progenitors of such events can be rapidly rotating, therefore exhibiting different evolutionary properties due to the effects of rotationally induced mixing and mass-loss. Proper identification of such events requires rigorous radiation hydrodynamics and radiative transfer calculations that capture not only the behavior of the light curve but also the spectral evolution of these events. We present radiation hydrodynamics and radiation transport calculations for 90-300M(circle dot) rotating PISNe covering both the shock breakout and late light curve phases. We also investigate cases of different initial metallicity and rotation rate to determine the impact of these parameters on the detailed spectral characteristics of these events. In agreement with recent results on non-rotating PISNe, we find that for a range of progenitor masses and rotation rates these events have intrinsically red colors in contradiction with observations of superluminous supernovae. The spectroscopic properties of rotating PISNe are similar to those of non-rotating events with stripped hydrogen and helium envelopes. We find that the progenitor metallicity and rotation rate properties are erased after the explosion and cannot be identified in the resulting model spectra. It is the combined effects of pre-supernova mass-loss and the basic properties of the supernova ejecta such as mass, temperature, and velocity that have the most direct impact in the model spectra of PISNe.Item Enigmatic Recurrent Pulsational Variability Of The Accreting White Dwarf EQ LYN (Sdss J074531.92+453829.6)(2013-09) Mukadam, Adam S.; Townsley, D. M.; Szkody, Paula; Gaansicke, B. T.; Southworth, J.; Brockett, T.; Parsons, S.; Hermes, J. J.; Montgomery, M. H.; Winget, D. E.; Harrold, S.; Tovmassian, G.; Zharikov, S.; Drake, A. J.; Henden, A.; Rodriguez-Gil, P.; Sion, E. M.; Zola, S.; Szymanski, T.; Pavlenko, E.; Aungwerojwit, A.; Qian, S. B.; Hermes, J. J.; Montgomery, M. H.; Winget, D. E.; Harrold, S.Photometric observations of the cataclysmic variable EQ Lyn (SDSS J074531.92+453829.6), acquired from 2005 October to 2006 January, revealed high-amplitude variability in the range 1166-1290 s. This accreting white dwarf underwent an outburst in 2006 October, during which its brightness increased by at least five magnitudes, and it started exhibiting superhumps in its light curve. Upon cooling to quiescence, the superhumps disappeared and it displayed the same periods in 2010 February as prior to the outburst within the uncertainties of a couple of seconds. This behavior suggests that the observed variability is likely due to nonradial pulsations in the white dwarf star, whose core structure has not been significantly affected by the outburst. The enigmatic observations begin with an absence of pulsational variability during a multi-site campaign conducted in 2011 January-February without any evidence of a new outburst; the light curve is instead dominated by superhumps with periods in the range of 83-87 minutes. Ultraviolet Hubble Space Telescope time-series spectroscopy acquired in 2011 March reveals an effective temperature of 15,400 K, placing EQ Lyn within the broad instability strip of 10,500-16,000 K for accreting pulsators. The ultraviolet light curve with 90% flux from the white dwarf shows no evidence of any pulsations. Optical photometry acquired during 2011 and Spring 2012 continues to reflect the presence of superhumps and an absence of pulsations. Subsequent observations acquired in 2012 December and 2013 January finally indicate the disappearance of superhumps and the return of pulsational variability with similar periods as previous data. However, our most recent data from 2013 March to May reveal superhumps yet again with no sign of pulsations. We speculate that this enigmatic post-outburst behavior of the frequent disappearance of pulsational variability in EQ Lyn is caused either by heating the white dwarf beyond the instability strip due to an elevated accretion rate, disrupting pulsations associated with the He II instability strip by lowering the He abundance of the convection zone, free geometric precession of the entire system, or appearing and disappearing disk pulsations.Item Evidence For A Correlation Between The Si II Lambda 4000 Width And Type Ia Supernova Color(2011-06) Nordin, Jakob; Ostman, Linda; Goobar, Ariel; Balland, C.; Lampeitl, Hubert; Nichol, Robert C.; Sako, Masao; Schneider, Donald P.; Smith, Mathew; Sollerman, Jesper; Wheeler, J. Craig; Wheeler, J. CraigWe study the pseudo-equivalent width of the Si II lambda 4000 feature of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in the redshift range 0.0024 <= z <= 0.634. We find that this spectral indicator correlates with the light curve color excess (SALT2c) as well as previously defined spectroscopic subclasses (Branch types) and the evolution of the Si II lambda 6150 velocity, i.e., the so-called velocity gradient. Based on our study of 55 objects from different surveys, we find indications that the Si II lambda 4000 spectral indicator could provide important information to improve cosmological distance measurements with SNe Ia.Item Evidence For Type Ia Supernova Diversity From Ultraviolet Observations With The Hubble Space Telescope(2012-04) Wang, Xiaofeng; Wang, Lifan; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Baron, Eddie; Kromer, Markus; Jack, Dennis; Zhang, Tianmeng; Aldering, Greg; Antilogus, Pierre; Arnett, W. David; Baade, Dietrich; Barris, Brian J.; Benetti, Stefano; Bouchet, Patrice; Burrows, Adam S.; Canal, Ramon; Cappellaro, Enrico; Carlberg, Raymond G.; di Carlo, Elisa; Challis, Peter J.; Crotts, Arlin P. S.; Danziger, John I.; Della Valle, Massimo; Fink, Michael; Foley, Ryan J.; Fransson, Claes; Gal-Yam, Avishay; Garnavich, Peter M.; Gerardy, Chris L.; Goldhaber, Gerson; Hamuy, Mario; Hillebrandt, Wolfgang; Hoeflich, Peter; Holland, Stephen T.; Holz, Daniel E.; Hughes, John P.; Jeffery, David J.; Jha, Saurabh W.; Kasen, Dan; Khokhlov, Alexei M.; Kirshner, Robert P.; Knop, Robert A.; Kozma, Cecilia; Krisciunas, Kevin; Lee, Brian C.; Leibundgut, Bruno; Lentz, Eric J.; Leonard, Douglas C.; Lewin, Walter H. G.; Li, Weidong; Livio, Mario; Lundqvist, Peter; Maoz, Dan; Matheson, Thomas; Mazzali, Paolo A.; Meikle, Peter; Miknaitis, Gajus; Milne, Peter A.; Mochnacki, Stefan W.; Nomoto, Ken'ichi; Nugent, Peter E.; Oran, Elaine S.; Panagia, Nino; Perlmutter, Saul; Phillips, Mark M.; Pinto, Philip; Poznanski, Dovi; Pritchet, Christopher J.; Reinecke, Martin; Riess, Adam G.; Ruiz-Lapuente, Pilar; Scalzo, Richard A.; Schlegel, Eric M.; Schmidt, Brian P.; Siegrist, James; Soderberg, Alicia M.; Sollerman, Jesper; Sonneborn, George; Spadafora, Anthony; Spyromilio, Jason; Sramek, Richard A.; Starrfield, Sumner G.; Strolger, Louis G.; Suntzeff, Nicholas B.; Thomas, Rollin C.; Tonry, John L.; Tornambe, Amedeo; Truran, James W.; Turatto, Massimo; Turner, Michael; Van Dyk, Schuyler D.; Weiler, Kurt W.; Wheeler, J. Craig; Wood-Vasey, Michael; Woosley, Stanford E.; Yamaoka, Hitoshi; Wheeler, J. CraigWe present ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy and photometry of four Type Ia supernovae (SNe 2004dt, 2004ef, 2005M, and 2005cf) obtained with the UV prism of the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope. This data set provides unique spectral time series down to 2000 angstrom. Significant diversity is seen in the near-maximum-light spectra (similar to 2000-3500 angstrom) for this small sample. The corresponding photometric data, together with archival data from Swift Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope observations, provide further evidence of increased dispersion in the UV emission with respect to the optical. The peak luminositiesmeasured in the uvw1/F250W filter are found to correlate with the B-band light-curve shape parameter Delta m(15)(B), but with much larger scatter relative to the correlation in the broadband B band (e.g., similar to 0.4 mag versus similar to 0.2 mag for those with 0.8 mag < Delta m(15)(B) < 1.7 mag). SN 2004dt is found as an outlier of this correlation (at > 3 sigma), being brighter than normal SNe Ia such as SN 2005cf by similar to 0.9 mag and similar to 2.0 mag in the uvw1/F250W and uvm2/F220W filters, respectively. We show that different progenitor metallicity or line-expansion velocities alone cannot explain such a large discrepancy. Viewing-angle effects, such as due to an asymmetric explosion, may have a significant influence on the flux emitted in the UV region. Detailed modeling is needed to disentangle and quantify the above effects.Item The First Supernovae: Source Density And Observability Of Pair Instability Supernovae(2012-09) Hummel, J. A.; Pawlik, A. H.; Milosavljevi, M.; Bromm, V.; Hummel, Jacob A.; Pawlik, Andreas H.; Milosavljević, Andreas H.; Bromm, Andreas H.Theoretical models predict that some of the first stars ended their lives as extremely energetic Pair Instability Supernovae (PISNe). With energies approaching 10(53) erg, these supernovae are expected to be within the detection limits of the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) allowing observational constraints to be placed on the properties of the first stars. We estimate the source density of PISNe using a semi-analytic Press-Schecter based approach informed by cosmological simulations, with an upper limit of similar to 0.2 PISNe visible per JWST field of view at any given time. We find that the main obstacle to observing PISNe is their scarcity rather than their faintness. Given this we suggest a mosaic style search strategy for detecting PISNe from the first stars.Item First Unambiguous Detection of the Return of Pulsations in the Accreting White Dwarf SDSS J074531.92+453829.6 After an Outburst(2011-02) Mukadam, Anjum S.; Townsley, D. M.; Szkody, P.; Gansicke, B. T.; Winget, D. E.; Hermes, J. J.; Howell, Steve B.; Teske, J.; Patterson, J.; Kemp, J.; Armstrong, Eve; Winget, D. E.; Hermes, J. J.The primary white dwarf of the cataclysmic variable SDSS J074531.92+453829.6 was discovered to exhibit non-radial pulsations in 2006 January. This accreting white dwarf underwent its first recorded dwarf nova outburst in 2006 October, during which its brightness increased by more than 5 mag. A Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ultraviolet spectrum, obtained one year after the outburst, revealed a white dwarf temperature of 16,500 K, hotter than all other known accreting white dwarf pulsators. This implies that the accreting primary white dwarf of SDSS J074531.92+453829.6 was heated to temperatures beyond the instability strip during the outburst. Optical observations acquired a year after the outburst did not reveal any evidence of pulsations, suggesting that the white dwarf had not cooled to quiescence by then. We recently acquired optical high-speed time-series photometry on this cataclysmic variable SDSS J074531.92+453829.6 more than three years after its outburst to find that pulsations have now returned to the primary white dwarf. Moreover, the observed pulsation periods agree with pre-outburst periods within the uncertainties of a few seconds. This discovery is significant because it indicates that the outburst did not affect the interior stellar structure, which governs the observed pulsation frequencies. It also suggests that the surface of the white dwarf has now cooled to quiescence. Using this discovery in addition to the prior HST temperature measurement of 16,500 K, we have been able to constrain the matter accreted during the 2006 outburst. This is the first time an accreting white dwarf was unambiguously observed to resume pulsating after an outburst.Item Generalized Semi-Analytical Models Of Supernova Light Curves(2012-02) Chatzopoulos, Emmanouil; Wheeler, J. Craig; Vinko, Jozsef; Chatzopoulos, Emmanouil; Wheeler, J. Craig; Vinko, JozsefWe present generalized supernova (SN) light curve (LC) models for a variety of power inputs including the previously proposed ideas of radioactive decay of Ni-56 and Co-56 and magnetar spin-down. We extend those solutions to include finite progenitor radius and stationary photospheres as might be the case for SN that are powered by interaction of the ejecta with circumstellar matter (CSM). We provide an expression for the power input that is produced by self-similar forward and reverse shocks that efficiently convert their kinetic energy into radiation. We find that this ejecta-CSM interaction luminosity that we derive is in agreement with results from multi-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations in the case of an optically thin CSM. We develop a semi-analytical model for the case of an optically thick CSM by invoking an approximation for the effects of radiative diffusion similar to that adopted by Arnett for SN II and compare this model to the results of numerical radiation hydrodynamics models. This model can give complex LCs, but for monotonically declining shock input, the LCs have a smooth rise, peak, and decline. In the context of this model, we provide predictions of the shock breakout of the forward shock from the optically thick part of the CSM envelope. We also introduce a hybrid LC model that incorporates ejecta-CSM interaction plus Ni-56 and Co-56 radioactive decay input. We fit this hybrid model to the LC of the super-luminous supernova (SLSN) 2006gy. We find that shock heating produced by ejecta-CSM interaction plus some contribution from radioactive decay provides a better fit to the LC of this event than previously presented models. We also address the relation between SN IIL and SN IIn with ejecta-CSM interaction models. The faster decline of SN IIL can be reproduced by the diffusion of previously deposited shock power if the shock power input to the diffusive component vanishes when the reverse shock sweeps up the whole ejecta and/or the forward shock propagates through the optically thick CSM. A CSM interaction with forward and reverse shock power input can produce the LCs of SN IIn in terms of duration, shape, and decline rate, depending on the properties of the CSM envelope and the progenitor star. This model can also produce LCs that are symmetric in shape around peak luminosity, which is the case for the observed LCs of some recently discovered peculiar transient events. We conclude that the observed LC variety of SN IIn and of some SLSNe is likely to be a byproduct of the large range of conditions relevant to significant ejecta-CSM interaction as a power source.Item High Angular Resolution Imaging And Infrared Spectroscopy Of CoRoT Candidates(2013-08) Guenther, E. W.; Fridlund, M.; Alonso, R.; Carpano, S.; Deeg, H. J.; Deleuil, M.; Dreizler, S.; Endl, M.; Gandolfi, D.; Gillon, M.; Guillot, T.; Jehin, E.; Leger, A.; Moutou, C.; Nortmann, L.; Rouan, D.; Samuel, B.; Schneider, J.; Tingley, B.; Endl, M.Context. Studies of transiting extrasolar planets are of key importance for understanding the nature of planets outside our solar system because their masses, diameters, and bulk densities can be measured. An important part of transit-search programmes is the removal of false-positives. In the case of the CoRoT space mission, the majority of the false-positives are removed by a detailed analysis of the light curves and by seeing-limited imaging in- and out-of-transit. However, the critical question is how many of the candidates that passed all these tests are false-positives. Such false-positives can be caused by eclipsing binaries, which are either related or unrelated to the targets. Aims. For our study we selected 25 CoRoT candidates that have already been screened against false-positives using detailed analysis of the light curves and seeing-limited imaging, which has transits that are between 0.7 and 0.05% deep. Our aim is to search for companion candidates that had not been recognized in previous observations. Methods. We observed 20 candidates with the adaptive optics imager NaCo and 18 with the high-resolution infrared spectrograph CRIRES. Results. We found previously unknown stars within 2 0 0 of the targets in seven of the candidates. All of these are too faint and too close to the targets to have been previously detected with seeing-limited telescopes in the optical. Our study thus leads to the surprising results that if we remove all candidates excluded by the sophisticated analysis of the light-curve, as well as carrying out deep imaging with seeing-limited telescopes, still 28 35% of the remaining candidates are found to possess companions that are bright enough to be false-positives. Conclusions. Given that the companion candidates cluster around the targets and that the J - K colours are consistent with physical companions, we conclude that the companion candidates are more likely to be physical companions rather than unrelated field stars.Item Late-Time Circumstellar Interaction In A Spitzer Selected Sample Of Type IIn Supernovae(2013-07) Fox, Ori D.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Silverman, Jeffrey M.; Ganeshalingam, Mohan; Cenko, S. Bradley; Clubb, Kelsey I.; Silverman, Jeffrey M.Type IIn supernovae (SNe IIn) are a rare (<10%) subclass of core-collapse SNe that exhibit relatively narrow emission lines from a dense, pre-existing circumstellar medium (CSM). In 2009, a warm Spitzer Space Telescope survey observed 30 SNe IIn discovered in 2003-2008 and detected 10 SNe at distances out to 175 Mpc with unreported late-time infrared emission, in some cases more than 5 yr post-discovery. For this single epoch of data, the warm-dust parameters suggest the presence of a radiative heating source consisting of optical and X-ray emission continuously generated by ongoing CSM interaction. Here we present multi-wavelength follow-up observations of this sample of 10 SNe IIn and the well-studied Type IIn SN 2010jl. A recent epoch of Spitzer observations reveals ongoing mid-infrared emission from nine of the SNe in this sample. We also detect three of the SNe in archival Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer data, in addition to SNe 1987A, 2004dj, and 2008iy. For at least five of the SNe in the sample, optical and/or X-ray emission confirms the presence of radiative emission from ongoing CSM interaction. The two Spitzer nondetections are consistent with the forward shock overrunning and destroying the dust shell, a result that places upper limits on the dust-shell size. The optical and infrared observations confirm the radiative heating model and constrain a number of model parameters, including progenitor mass-loss characteristics. All of the SNe in this sample experienced an outburst on the order of tens to hundreds of years prior to the SN explosion followed by periods of less intense mass loss. Although all evidence points to massive progenitors, the variation in the data highlights the diversity in SN IIn progenitor evolution. While these observations do not identify a particular progenitor system, they demonstrate that future, coordinated, multi-wavelength campaigns can constrain theoretical mass-loss models.Item Magnetic Fields In Relativistic Collisionless Shocks(2014-04) Santana, Rodolfo; Duran, Rodolfo Barniol; Kumar, Pawan; Santana, Rodolfo; Kumar, PawanWe present a systematic study on magnetic fields in gamma-ray burst (GRB) external forward shocks (FSs). There are 60 (35) GRBs in our X-ray (optical) sample, mostly from Swift. We use two methods to study is an element of(B) (fraction of energy in magnetic field in the FS): (1) for the X-ray sample, we use the constraint that the observed flux at the end of the steep decline is >= X-ray FS flux; (2) for the optical sample, we use the condition that the observed flux arises from the FS (optical sample light curves decline as similar to t(-1), as expected for the FS). Making a reasonable assumption on E (jet isotropic equivalent kinetic energy), we converted these conditions into an upper limit (measurement) on is an element of(n2/(p+1))(B) for our X-ray (optical) sample, where n is the circumburst density and p is the electron index. Taking n = 1 cm(-3), the distribution of is an element of(B) measurements (upper limits) for our optical (X-ray) sample has a range of similar to 10 (8)-10 (3) (similar to 10 (6)-10 (3)) and median of similar to few x 10 (5) (similar to few x 10 (5)). To characterize how much amplification is needed, beyond shock compression of a seed magnetic field similar to 10 mu G, we expressed our results in terms of an amplification factor, AF, which is very weakly dependent on n (AF alpha n(0.21)). The range of AF measurements (upper limits) for our optical (X-ray) sample is similar to 1-1000 (similar to 10-300) with a median of similar to 50 (similar to 50). These results suggest that some amplification, in addition to shock compression, is needed to explain the afterglow observations.