Cyclotron side band emissions from magnetospheric electrons

Very low frequency emissions with subharmonic cyclotron frequency from magnetospheric electrons were detected by the S(3)-A satellite (Explorer 45) whose orbit is close to the magnetic equatorial plane where the wave-particle interaction is most efficient. These emissions were observed during the main phase of a geomagnetic storm in the nightside of the magnetosphere outside of the plasmasphere. During the event of these side-band emissions, the pitch angle distributions of high energy electrons (greater than 50 keV) and of energetic protons (greater than 100 keV) showed remarkable changes with time, whereas those of low energy electrons and protons remained approximately isotropic. In this type of event, emissions consist essentially of two bands, the one below the equatorial electron gyrofrequency, and the other above. The emissions below are whistler mode, and the emissions above are electrostatic mode

Optical Emission from Aspherical Supernovae and the Hypernova SN 1998bw

A fully 3D Monte Carlo scheme is applied to compute optical bolometric light curves for aspherical (jet-like) supernova explosion models. Density and abundance distributions are taken from hydrodynamic explosion models, with the energy varied as a parameter to explore the dependence. Our models show initially a very large degree ($\sim 4$ depending on model parameters) of boosting luminosity toward the polar ($z$) direction relative to the equatorial ($r$) plane, which decreases as the time of peak is approached. After the peak, the factor of the luminosity boost remains almost constant ($\sim 1.2$) until the supernova enters the nebular phase. This behavior is due mostly to the aspherical $^{56}$Ni distribution in the earlier phase and to the disk-like inner low-velocity structure in the later phase. Also the aspherical models yield an earlier peak date than the spherical models, especially if viewed from near the z-axis. Aspherical models with ejecta mass \sim 10\Msun are examined, and one with the kinetic energy of the expansion $\sim 2 \pm 0.5 \times 10^{52}$ ergs and a mass of $^{56}$Ni \sim 0.4\Msun yields a light curve in agreement with the observed light curve of SN 1998bw (the prototypical hyper-energetic supernova). The aspherical model is also at least qualitatively consistent with evolution of photospheric velocities, showing large velocities near the z-axis, and with a late-phase nebular spectrum. The viewing angle is close to the z-axis, strengthening the case for the association of SN 1998bw with the gamma ray burst GRB980425.Comment: Accepted by the Astrophysical Journal. 28 pages, 14 figure

Subaru and Keck Observations of the Peculiar Type Ia Supernova 2006gz at Late Phases

Recently, a few peculiar Type Ia supernovae (SNe) that show exceptionally large peak luminosity have been discovered. Their luminosity requires more than 1 Msun of 56Ni ejected during the explosion, suggesting that they might have originated from super-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarfs. However, the nature of these objects is not yet well understood. In particular, no data have been taken at late phases, about one year after the explosion. We report on Subaru and Keck optical spectroscopic and photometric observations of the SN Ia 2006gz, which had been classified as being one of these "overluminous" SNe Ia. The late-time behavior is distinctly different from that of normal SNe Ia, reinforcing the argument that SN 2006gz belongs to a different subclass than normal SNe Ia. However, the peculiar features found at late times are not readily connected to a large amount of 56Ni; the SN is faint, and it lacks [Fe II] and [Fe III] emission. If the bulk of the radioactive energy escapes the SN ejecta as visual light, as is the case in normal SNe Ia, the mass of 56Ni does not exceed ~ 0.3 Msun. We discuss several possibilities to remedy the problem. With the limited observations, however, we are unable to conclusively identify which process is responsible. An interesting possibility is that the bulk of the emission might be shifted to longer wavelengths, unlike the case in other SNe Ia, which might be related to dense C-rich regions as indicated by the early-phase data. Alternatively, it might be the case that SN 2006gz, though peculiar, was actually not substantially overluminous at early times.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Nebular Spectra and Explosion Asymmetry of Type Ia Supernovae

The spectral signatures of asymmetry in Type Ia Supernova (SN Ia) explosions are investigated, using a sample of late-time nebular spectra. First, a kinematical model is constructed for SN Ia 2003hv, which can account for the main features in its optical, Near-Infrared (NIR), and Mid-Infrared (Mid-IR) late-time spectra. It is found that an asymmetric off-center model can explain the observed characteristics of SN 2003hv. This model includes a relatively high density, Fe-rich region which displays a large velocity off-set, and a relatively low density, extended 56Ni-rich region which is more spherically distributed. The high density region consists of the inner stable Fe-Ni region and outer 56Ni-rich region. Such a distribution may be the result of a delayed-detonation explosion, in which the first deflagration produces the global asymmetry in the innermost ejecta, while the subsequent detonation can lead to the bulk spherical symmetry. This configuration, if viewed from the direction of the off-set, can consistently explain the blueshift in some of the emission lines and virtually no observed shift in other lines in SN 2003hv. For this model, we then explore the effects of different viewing angles and the implications for SNe Ia in general. The model predicts that a variation of the central wavelength, depending on the viewing angle, should be seen in some lines (e.g., [Ni II]7378), while the strongest lines (e.g., [Fe III] blend at 4700A) will not show this effect. By examining optical nebular spectra of 12 SNe Ia, we have found that such a variation indeed exists. We suggest that the global asymmetry in the innermost ejecta, as likely imprint of the deflagration flame propagation, is a generic feature of SNe Ia (abridged).Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. Minor correction