Properties of Type II Plateau Supernova SNLS-04D2dc: Multicolor Light Curves of Shock Breakout and Plateau

Shock breakout is the brightest radiative phenomenon in a Type II supernova (SN). Although it was predicted to be bright, the direct observation is difficult due to the short duration and X-ray/ultraviolet-peaked spectra. First entire observations of the shock breakouts of Type II Plateau SNe (SNe IIP) were reported in 2008 by ultraviolet and optical observations by the {\it GALEX} satellite and supernova legacy survey (SNLS), named SNLS-04D2dc and SNLS-06D1jd. We present multicolor light curves of a SN IIP, including the shock breakout and plateau, calculated with a multigroup radiation hydrodynamical code {\sc STELLA} and an evolutionary progenitor model. The synthetic multicolor light curves reproduce well the observations of SNLS-04D2dc. This is the first study to reproduce the ultraviolet light curve of the shock breakout and the optical light curve of the plateau consistently. We conclude that SNLS-04D2dc is the explosion with a canonical explosion energy $1.2\times10^{51}$ ergs and that its progenitor is a star with a zero-age main-sequence mass $20M_\odot$ and a presupernova radius $800R_\odot$. The model demonstrates that the peak apparent $B$-band magnitude of the shock breakout would be $m_{\rm B}\sim26.4$ mag if a SN being identical to SNLS-04D2dc occurs at a redshift $z=1$, which can be reached by 8m-class telescopes. The result evidences that the shock breakout has a great potential to detect SNe IIP at z\gsim1.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letter

R-matrix calculation of differential cross sections for low-energy electron collisions with ground and electronically excited state O2 molecules

Differential cross sections for electron collisions with the O$_2$ molecule in its ground ${X}^{3}\Sigma_g^-$ state, as well as excited ${a}^{1}\Delta_g$ and ${b}^{1}\Sigma_g^+$ states are calculated. As previously, the fixed-bond R-matrix method based on state-averaged complete active space SCF orbitals is employed. In additions to elastic scattering of electron with the O$_2$ ${X}^{3}\Sigma_g^-$, ${a}^{1}\Delta_g$ and ${b}^{1}\Sigma_g^+$ states, electron impact excitation from the ${X}^{3}\Sigma_g^-$ state to the ${a}^{1}\Delta_g$ and ${b}^{1}\Sigma_g^+$ states as well as '6 eV states' of ${c}^{1}\Sigma_u^{-}$, ${A'}^{3}\Delta_u$ and ${A}^{3}\Sigma_u^{+}$ states is studied. Differential cross sections for excitation to the '6 eV states' have not been calculated previously. Electron impact excitation to the ${b}^{1}\Sigma_g^+$ state from the metastable ${a}^{1}\Delta_g$ state is also studied. For electron impact excitation from the O$_2$ ${X}^{3}\Sigma_g^-$ state to the ${b}^{1}\Sigma_g^+$ state, our results agree better with the experimental measurements than previous theoretical calculations. Our cross sections show angular behaviour similar to the experimental ones for transitions from the ${X}^{3}\Sigma_g^-$ state to the '6 eV states', although the calculated cross sections are up to a factor two larger at large scattering angles. For the excitation from the ${a}^{1}\Delta_g$ state to the ${b}^{1}\Sigma_g^+$ state, our results marginally agree with the experimental data except for the forward scattering direction

Constraints on core-collapse supernova progenitors from explosion site integral field spectroscopy

Observationally, supernovae (SNe) are divided into subclasses pertaining to their distinct characteristics. This diversity reflects the diversity in the progenitor stars. It is not entirely clear how different evolutionary paths leading massive stars to become a SN are governed by fundamental parameters such as progenitor initial mass and metallicity. This paper places constraints on progenitor initial mass and metallicity in distinct core-collapse SN subclasses, through a study of the parent stellar populations at the explosion sites. Integral field spectroscopy (IFS) of 83 nearby SN explosion sites with a median distance of 18 Mpc has been collected and analysed, enabling detection and spectral extraction of the parent stellar population of SN progenitors. From the parent stellar population spectrum, the initial mass and metallicity of the coeval progenitor are derived by means of comparison to simple stellar population models and strong-line methods. Additionally, near-infrared IFS was employed to characterise the star formation history at the explosion sites. No significant metallicity differences are observed among distinct SN types. The typical progenitor mass is found to be highest for SN Ic, followed by type Ib, then types IIb and II. SN IIn is the least associated with young stellar populations and thus massive progenitors. However, statistically significant differences in progenitor initial mass are observed only when comparing SNe IIn with other subclasses. Stripped-envelope SN progenitors with initial mass estimate lower than 25~$M_\odot$ are found; these are thought to be the result of binary progenitors. Confirming previous studies, these results support the notion that core-collapse SN progenitors cannot arise from single-star channel only, and both single and binary channels are at play in the production of core-collapse SNe. [ABRIDGED]Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, accepted to A&

A galaxy at a redshift z = 6.96

When galaxy formation started in the history of the Universe remains unclear. Studies of the cosmic microwave background indicate that the Universe, after initial cooling (following the Big Bang), was reheated and reionized by hot stars in newborn galaxies at a redshift in the range 6 7 have been identified photometrically (refs 2,3), galaxies with spectroscopically confirmed redshifts have been confined to z < 6.6 (refs. 4-8). Here we report a spectroscopic redshift of z = 6.96 (corresponding to just 750 Myr after the Big Bang) for a galaxy whose spectrum clearly shows Lyman-alpha emission at 9,682 A, indicating active star formation at a rate of about 10 M_sun/yr, where M_sun us the mass of the Sun. This demonstrates that galaxy formation was under way when the Universe was only about 6 per cent of its present age. The number density of galaxies at z = 7 seems to be only 18-36 per cent of the density at z = 6.6

The use of desalinated-dried jellyfish and rice bran for controlling weeds and rice yield

To achieve higher rice production, rice-growing countries have used great amounts of synthetic chemical compounds (chemical fertilizers and pesticides) that can have adverse effects on the environment and humans. Organic products and organic farming technologies are friendlier to the environment and more conducive to sustainable agriculture but require different inputs, knowledge and skills. Weed control is one of the major challenges in organic rice cultivation. The present study proposes and tests the use of desalinated-dried jellyfish chips in the development of sustainable rice production. Vast amounts of jellyfishes have been found in the Sea of Japan (Nomura's jellyfish, Nemopilema nomurai Kishinouye) and Japan inland sea areas (Water jelly, Aurelia aurita (Linne)), and jellyfish populationc can have a negative impact on the fishery industry. In this context, the use of jellyfish in organic agriculture has attracted attention. The present study found that the application of desalinated-dried jellyfish (small pieces of jellyfish which are desalinated and dried) mixed in soil before transplanting can effectively control weeds in rice fields and has a nutrient effect because of the high nitrogen content (12-13%). Desalinated-dried jellyfish has potential as an agricultural material that replaces herbicides and chemical fertilizers. It also contributes to environment-friendly rice production. It was found that both desalinated-dried jellyfish and rice bran effectively controlled rice weeds when mixed in the soil before the transplanting.The grain yields of desalinated-dried jellyfish treatments were consistently higher than the corresponding rice bran treatments. The rice yield from the desalinated-dried jellyfish treatments were comparable to the chemical fertilizer treatment.

Supernovae in the Subaru Deep Field: An Initial Sample, and Type Ia Rate, out to Redshift 1.6

Large samples of high-redshift supernovae (SNe) are potentially powerful probes of cosmic star formation, metal enrichment, and SN physics. We present initial results from a new deep SN survey, based on re-imaging in the R, i', z' bands, of the 0.25 deg2 Subaru Deep Field (SDF), with the 8.2-m Subaru telescope and Suprime-Cam. In a single new epoch consisting of two nights of observations, we have discovered 33 candidate SNe, down to a z'-band magnitude of 26.3 (AB). We have measured the photometric redshifts of the SN host galaxies, obtained Keck spectroscopic redshifts for 17 of the host galaxies, and classified the SNe using the Bayesian photometric algorithm of Poznanski et al. (2007) that relies on template matching. After correcting for biases in the classification, 55% of our sample consists of Type Ia supernovae and 45% of core-collapse SNe. The redshift distribution of the SNe Ia reaches z ~ 1.6, with a median of z ~ 1.2. The core-collapse SNe reach z ~ 1.0, with a median of z ~ 0.5. Our SN sample is comparable to the Hubble Space Telescope/GOODS sample both in size and redshift range. The redshift distributions of the SNe in the SDF and in GOODS are consistent, but there is a trend (which requires confirmation using a larger sample) for more high-z SNe Ia in the SDF. This trend is also apparent when comparing the SN Ia rates we derive to those based on GOODS data. Our results suggest a fairly constant rate at high redshift that could be tracking the star-formation rate. Additional epochs on this field, already being obtained, will enlarge our SN sample to the hundreds, and determine whether or not there is a decline in the SN Ia rate at z >~ 1.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, MNRAS accepte