44 research outputs found
The Structure of Affect: Reconsidering the Relationship between Negative and Positive Affectivity
Rapidly decaying supernova 2010X: A candidate ".Ia" explosion
We present the discovery, photometric, and spectroscopic follow-up observations of SN 2010X (PTF 10bhp). This supernova decays exponentially with τ_d = 5 days and rivals the current recordholder in speed, SN 2002bj. SN 2010X peaks at M_r = −17 mag and has mean velocities of 10,000 km s^(−1). Our light curve modeling suggests a radioactivity-powered event and an ejecta mass of 0.16M_⊙. If powered by Nickel, we show that the Nickel mass must be very small (≈0.02 M_⊙) and that the supernova quickly becomes optically thin to γ -rays. Our spectral modeling suggests that SN 2010X and SN 2002bj have similar chemical compositions
and that one of aluminum or helium is present. If aluminum is present, we speculate that this may be an accretion-induced collapse of an O-Ne-Mg white dwarf. If helium is present, all observables of SN 2010X are consistent with being a thermonuclear helium shell detonation on a white dwarf, a “.Ia” explosion. With the 1 day dynamic-cadence experiment on the Palomar Transient Factory, we expect to annually discover a few such events
Evidence for an FU Orionis-like Outburst from a Classical T Tauri Star
We present pre- and post-outburst observations of the new FU Orionis-like
young stellar object PTF 10qpf (also known as LkHa 188-G4 and HBC 722). Prior
to this outburst, LkHa 188-G4 was classified as a classical T Tauri star on the
basis of its optical emission-line spectrum superposed on a K8-type
photosphere, and its photometric variability. The mid-infrared spectral index
of LkHa 188-G4 indicates a Class II-type object. LkHa 188-G4 exhibited a steady
rise by ~1 mag over ~11 months starting in Aug. 2009, before a subsequent more
abrupt rise of > 3 mag on a time scale of ~2 months. Observations taken during
the eruption exhibit the defining characteristics of FU Orionis variables: (i)
an increase in brightness by > 4 mag, (ii) a bright optical/near-infrared
reflection nebula appeared, (iii) optical spectra are consistent with a G
supergiant and dominated by absorption lines, the only exception being Halpha
which is characterized by a P Cygni profile, (iv) near-infrared spectra
resemble those of late K--M giants/supergiants with enhanced absorption seen in
the molecular bands of CO and H_2O, and (v) outflow signatures in H and He are
seen in the form of blueshifted absorption profiles. LkHa 188-G4 is the first
member of the FU Orionis-like class with a well-sampled optical to mid-infrared
spectral energy distribution in the pre-outburst phase. The association of the
PTF 10qpf outburst with the previously identified classical T Tauri star LkHa
188-G4 (HBC 722) provides strong evidence that FU Orionis-like eruptions
represent periods of enhanced disk accretion and outflow, likely triggered by
instabilities in the disk. The early identification of PTF 10qpf as an FU
Orionis-like variable will enable detailed photometric and spectroscopic
observations during its post-outburst evolution for comparison with other known
outbursting objects.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, ApJ accepte
Rapidly Decaying Supernova 2010X: A Candidate ".Ia" Explosion
We present the discovery, photometric and spectroscopic follow-up
observations of SN 2010X (PTF 10bhp). This supernova decays exponentially with
tau_d=5 days, and rivals the current recordholder in speed, SN 2002bj. SN 2010X
peaks at M_r=-17mag and has mean velocities of 10,000 km/s. Our light curve
modeling suggests a radioactivity powered event and an ejecta mass of 0.16
Msun. If powered by Nickel, we show that the Nickel mass must be very small
(0.02 Msun) and that the supernova quickly becomes optically thin to
gamma-rays. Our spectral modeling suggests that SN 2010X and SN 2002bj have
similar chemical compositions and that one of Aluminum or Helium is present. If
Aluminum is present, we speculate that this may be an accretion induced
collapse of an O-Ne-Mg white dwarf. If Helium is present, all observables of SN
2010X are consistent with being a thermonuclear Helium shell detonation on a
white dwarf, a ".Ia" explosion. With the 1-day dynamic-cadence experiment on
the Palomar Transient Factory, we expect to annually discover a few such
events.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures; Minor Changes; Note correction in Fig 4 caption;
published by ApJ
PTF10nvg: An Outbursting Class I Protostar in the Pelican/North American Nebula
During a synoptic survey of the North American Nebula region, the Palomar
Transient Factory (PTF) detected an optical outburst (dubbed PTF10nvg)
associated with the previously unstudied flat or rising spectrum infrared
source IRAS 20496+4354. The PTF R-band light curve reveals that PTF10nvg
brightened by more than 5 mag during the current outburst, rising to a peak
magnitude of R~13.5 in 2010 Sep. Follow-up observations indicate PTF10nvg has
undergone a similar ~5 mag brightening in the K band, and possesses a rich
emission-line spectrum, including numerous lines commonly assumed to trace mass
accretion and outflows. Many of these lines are blueshifted by ~175 km/s from
the North American Nebula's rest velocity, suggesting that PTF10nvg is driving
an outflow. Optical spectra of PTF10nvg show several TiO/VO bandheads fully in
emission, indicating the presence of an unusual amount of dense (> 10^10
cm^-3), warm (1500-4000 K) circumstellar material. Near-infrared spectra of
PTF10nvg appear quite similar to a spectrum of McNeil's Nebula/V1647 Ori, a
young star which has undergone several brightenings in recent decades, and
06297+1021W, a Class I protostar with a similarly rich near--infrared emission
line spectrum. While further monitoring is required to fully understand this
event, we conclude that the brightening of PTF10nvg is indicative of enhanced
accretion and outflow in this Class-I-type protostellar object, similar to the
behavior of V1647 Ori in 2004-2005.Comment: Accepted to the Astronomical Journal; 21 pages, 11 figures, 6 tables
in emulateapj format; v2 fixes typo in abstract; v3 updates status to
accepted, adjusts affiliations, adds acknowledgmen
PTF10fqs: A Luminous Red Nova in the Spiral Galaxy Messier 99
The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is systematically charting the optical
transient and variable sky. A primary science driver of PTF is building a
complete inventory of transients in the local Universe (distance less than 200
Mpc). Here, we report the discovery of PTF10fqs, a transient in the luminosity
"gap" between novae and supernovae. Located on a spiral arm of Messier 99, PTF
10fqs has a peak luminosity of Mr = -12.3, red color (g-r = 1.0) and is slowly
evolving (decayed by 1 mag in 68 days). It has a spectrum dominated by
intermediate-width H (930 km/s) and narrow calcium emission lines. The
explosion signature (the light curve and spectra) is overall similar to thatof
M85OT2006-1, SN2008S, and NGC300OT. The origin of these events is shrouded in
mystery and controversy (and in some cases, in dust). PTF10fqs shows some
evidence of a broad feature (around 8600A) that may suggest very large
velocities (10,000 km/s) in this explosion. Ongoing surveys can be expected to
find a few such events per year. Sensitive spectroscopy, infrared monitoring
and statistics (e.g. disk versus bulge) will eventually make it possible for
astronomers to unravel the nature of these mysterious explosions.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures, Replaced with published versio
Constraining the Kilonova Rate with Zwicky Transient Facility Searches Independent of Gravitational Wave and Short Gamma-Ray Burst Triggers
The first binary neutron star merger, GW170817, was accompanied by a radioactivity-powered optical/infrared transient called a kilonova. To date, no compelling kilonova has been found in all-sky optical surveys, independently of short gamma-ray burst and gravitational-wave triggers. In this work, we searched the first 23 months of the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) data stream for candidate kilonovae in the form of rapidly evolving transients. We combined ZTF alert queries with forced point-spread-function photometry and nightly flux stacking to increase our sensitivity to faint and fast transients. Automatic queries yielded >11,200 candidates, 24 of which passed quality checks and selection criteria based on a grid of kilonova models tailored for both binary neutron star and neutron star-black hole mergers. None of the candidates in our sample was deemed a possible kilonova after thorough vetting. The sources that passed our selection criteria are dominated by Galactic cataclysmic variables. We identified two fast transients at high Galactic latitude, one of which is the confirmed afterglow of long-duration GRB 190106A, the other is a possible cosmological afterglow. Using a survey simulation code, we constrained the kilonova rate for a range of models including top-hat, linearly decaying light curves, and synthetic light curves obtained with radiative transfer simulations. For prototypical GW170817-like kilonovae, we constrain the rate to be Gpc-3 yr-1 (95% confidence). By assuming a population of kilonovae with the same geometry and composition of GW170817 observed under a uniform viewing angle distribution, we obtained a constraint on the rate of R < 4029 Gpc-3 yr-1. © 2020. The American Astronomical Society
Constraining the Kilonova Rate with Zwicky Transient Facility Searches Independent of Gravitational Wave and Short Gamma-ray Burst Triggers
The first binary neutron star merger, GW170817, was accompanied by a
radioactivity-powered optical/infrared transient called a kilonova. To date, no
compelling kilonova has been found during optical surveys of the sky,
independent of gravitational-wave triggers. In this work, we searched the first
23 months of the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) data stream for candidate
kilonovae in the form of rapidly evolving transients. We combined ZTF alert
queries with forced point-spread-function photometry and nightly flux stacking
to increase our sensitivity to faint and fast transients. Automatic queries
yielded candidates, 24 of which passed quality checks and strict
selection criteria based on a grid of kilonova models tailored for both binary
neutron star and neutron star-black hole mergers. None of the candidates in our
sample was deemed a possible kilonova after thorough vetting, catalog
cross-matching, and study of their color evolution. The sources that passed our
selection criteria are dominated by Galactic cataclysmic variables. In
addition, we identified two fast transients at high Galactic latitude, one of
which is the confirmed afterglow of long-duration GRB190106A, and the other is
a possible cosmological afterglow. Using a survey simulation code, we
constrained the kilonova rate for a range of models including top-hat and
linearly decaying light curves and synthetic light curves obtained with
radiative transfer simulations. For prototypical GW170817-like kilonovae, we
constrain the rate to be Gpc yr at 95% confidence
level by requiring at least 2 high-significance detections. By assuming a
population of kilonovae with the same geometry and composition of GW170817
observed under a uniform viewing angle distribution, we obtained a constraint
on the rate of Gpc yr.Comment: Submitted for publication in Ap
Constraining the Kilonova Rate with Zwicky Transient Facility Searches Independent of Gravitational Wave and Short Gamma-Ray Burst Triggers
The first binary neutron star merger, GW170817, was accompanied by a radioactivity-powered optical/infrared transient called a kilonova. To date, no compelling kilonova has been found in all-sky optical surveys, independently of short gamma-ray burst and gravitational-wave triggers. In this work, we searched the first 23 months of the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) data stream for candidate kilonovae in the form of rapidly evolving transients. We combined ZTF alert queries with forced point-spread-function photometry and nightly flux stacking to increase our sensitivity to faint and fast transients. Automatic queries yielded >11,200 candidates, 24 of which passed quality checks and selection criteria based on a grid of kilonova models tailored for both binary neutron star and neutron star–black hole mergers. None of the candidates in our sample was deemed a possible kilonova after thorough vetting. The sources that passed our selection criteria are dominated by Galactic cataclysmic variables. We identified two fast transients at high Galactic latitude, one of which is the confirmed afterglow of long-duration GRB 190106A, the other is a possible cosmological afterglow. Using a survey simulation code, we constrained the kilonova rate for a range of models including top-hat, linearly decaying light curves, and synthetic light curves obtained with radiative transfer simulations. For prototypical GW170817-like kilonovae, we constrain the rate to be R < 1775 Gpc⁻³ yr⁻¹ (95% confidence). By assuming a population of kilonovae with the same geometry and composition of GW170817 observed under a uniform viewing angle distribution, we obtained a constraint on the rate of R < 4029 Gpc⁻³ yr⁻¹