Integral field spectroscopy of supernova explosion sites: constraining mass and metallicity of the progenitors -- II. Type II-P and II-L supernovae

Thirteen explosion sites of type II-P and II-L supernovae in nearby galaxies have been observed using integral field spectroscopy, enabling both spatial and spectral study of the explosion sites. We used the properties of the parent stellar population of the coeval supernova progenitor star to derive its metallicity and initial mass (c.f. Paper I). The spectrum of the parent stellar population yields the estimates of metallicity via strong-line method, and age via comparison with simple stellar population (SSP) models. These metallicity and age parameters are adopted for the progenitor star. Age, or lifetime of the star, was used to derive initial (ZAMS) mass of the star by comparing with stellar evolution models. With this technique, we were able to determine metallicity and initial mass of the SN progenitors in our sample. Our result indicates that some type-II supernova progenitors may have been stars with mass comparable to SN Ib/c progenitors.Comment: Accepted to the Astronomical Journa

Going Forward with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Transient Survey: Validation of Precision Forward-Modeling Photometry for Undersampled Imaging

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman) is an observatory for both wide-field observations and coronagraphy that is scheduled for launch in the mid 2020's. Part of the planned survey is a deep, cadenced field or fields that enable cosmological measurements with type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). With a pixel scale of 0".11, the Wide Field Instrument will be undersampled, presenting a difficulty for precisely subtracting the galaxy light underneath the SNe. We use simulated data to validate the ability of a forward-model code (such codes are frequently also called "scene-modeling" codes) to perform precision supernova photometry for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope SN survey. Our simulation includes over 760,000 image cutouts around SNe Ia or host galaxies (~ 10% of a full-scale survey). To have a realistic 2D distribution of underlying galaxy light, we use the VELA simulated high-resolution images of galaxies. We run each set of cutouts through our forward-modeling code which automatically measures time-dependent SN fluxes. Given our assumed inputs of a perfect model of the instrument PSFs and calibration, we find biases at the millimagnitude level from this method in four red filters (Y106, J129, H158, and F184), easily meeting the 0.5% Roman inter-filter calibration requirement for a cutting-edge measurement of cosmological parameters using SNe Ia. Simulated data in the bluer Z087 filter shows larger ~ 2--3 millimagnitude biases, also meeting this requirement, but with more room for improvement. Our forward-model code has been released on Zenodo.Comment: Accepted for Publication in PAS

The Rise Times of High and Low Redshift Type Ia Supernovae are Consistent

We present a self-consistent comparison of the rise times for low- and high-redshift Type Ia supernovae. Following previous studies, the early light curve is modeled using a t-squared law, which is then mated with a modified Leibundgut template light curve. The best-fit t-squared law is determined for ensemble samples of low- and high-redshift supernovae by fitting simultaneously for all light curve parameters for all supernovae in each sample. Our method fully accounts for the non-negligible covariance amongst the light curve fitting parameters, which previous analyses have neglected. Contrary to Riess et al. (1999), we find fair to good agreement between the rise times of the low- and high-redshift Type Ia supernovae. The uncertainty in the rise time of the high-redshift Type Ia supernovae is presently quite large (roughly +/- 1.2 days statistical), making any search for evidence of evolution based on a comparison of rise times premature. Furthermore, systematic effects on rise time determinations from the high-redshift observations, due to the form of the late-time light curve and the manner in which the light curves of these supernovae were sampled, can bias the high-redshift rise time determinations by up to +3.6/-1.9 days under extreme situations. The peak brightnesses - used for cosmology - do not suffer any significant bias, nor any significant increase in uncertainty.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal. Also available at http://www.lbl.gov/~nugent/papers.html Typos were corrected and a few sentences were added for improved clarit

Multi-Color Light Curves of Type Ia Supernovae on the Color-Magnitude Diagram: a Novel Step Toward More Precise Distance and Extinction Estimates

We show empirically that fits to the color-magnitude relation of Type Ia supernovae after optical maximum can provide accurate relative extragalactic distances. We report the discovery of an empirical color relation for Type Ia light curves: During much of the first month past maximum, the magnitudes of Type Ia supernovae defined at a given value of color index have a very small magnitude dispersion; moreover, during this period the relation between $B$ magnitude and $B-V$ color (or $B-R$ or $B-I$ color) is strikingly linear, to the accuracy of existing well-measured data. These linear relations can provide robust distance estimates, in particular, by using the magnitudes when the supernova reaches a given color. After correction for light curve strech factor or decline rate, the dispersion of the magnitudes taken at the intercept of the linear color-magnitude relation are found to be around 0$^m$.08 for the sub-sample of supernovae with \BVm $\le 0^m.05$, and around 0$^m$.11 for the sub-sample with \BVm $\le 0^m.2$. This small dispersion is consistent with being mostly due to observational errors. The method presented here and the conventional light curve fitting methods can be combined to further improve statistical dispersions of distance estimates. It can be combined with the magnitude at maximum to deduce dust extinction. The slopes of the color-magnitude relation may also be used to identify intrinsically different SN Ia systems. The method provides a tool that is fundamental to using SN Ia to estimate cosmological parameters such as the Hubble constant and the mass and dark energy content of the universe.Comment: ApJ, in pres

Precise Mass Determination of SPT-CL J2106-5844, the Most Massive Cluster at z \u3e 1

We present a detailed high-resolution weak-lensing study of SPT-CL J2106-5844 at z = 1.132, claimed to be the most massive system discovered at z \u3e 1 in the South Pole Telescope Sunyaev–Zel\u27dovich survey. Based on the deep imaging data from the Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3 on board the Hubble Space Telescope, we find that the cluster mass distribution is asymmetric, composed of a main clump and a subclump ~640 kpc west thereof. The central clump is further resolved into two smaller northwestern and southeastern substructures separated by ~150 kpc. We show that this rather complex mass distribution is more consistent with the cluster galaxy distribution than a unimodal distribution as previously presented. The northwestern substructure coincides with the brightest cluster galaxy and the X-ray peak while the southeastern one agrees with the location of the peak in number density. These morphological features and the comparison with the X-ray emission suggest that the cluster might be a merging system. We estimate the virial mass of the cluster to be , where the second error bar is the systematic uncertainty. Our result confirms that the cluster SPT-CL J2106-5844 is indeed the most massive cluster at z \u3e 1 known to date. We demonstrate the robustness of this mass estimate by performing a number of tests with different assumptions on the centroids, mass–concentration relations, and sample variance

V1647 Orionis: Reinvigorated Accretion and the Re-Appearance of McNeil's Nebula

In late 2003, the young eruptive variable star V1647 Orionis optically brightened by over 5 magnitudes, stayed bright for around 26 months, and then decline to its pre-outburst level. In August 2008 the star was reported to have unexpectedly brightened yet again and we herein present the first detailed observations of this new outburst. Photometrically, the star is now as bright as it ever was following the 2003 eruption. Spectroscopically, a pronounced P Cygni profile is again seen in Halpha with an absorption trough extending to -700 km/s. In the near-infrared, the spectrum now possesses very weak CO overtone bandhead absorption in contrast to the strong bandhead emission seen soon after the 2003 event. Water vapor absorption is also much stronger than previously seen. We discuss the current outburst below and relate it to the earlier event.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure