26 research outputs found
Euclid legacy science prospects
With the immense number of images, data, and sources that Euclid will
deliver, the consortium will be in a unique position to
create/provide/construct legacy catalogues. The latter will have exquisite
imaging quality and good near-infrared spectroscopy, with impact on many areas
of galaxy science. These proceedings review the prospects and scientific output
that Euclid will be able to achieve in areas of galaxy and active galactic
nucleus (AGN) evolution, the local and primeval Universe, studies of the Milky
Way and stellar populations, supernovae (SN) and transients, Solar System
objects, exoplanets, strong lensing and galaxy clusters.Comment: 6 pages, contribution to the ICHEP2022 conference proceedings
accompanying the ''Euclid in a nutshell'' and ''Euclid: performance on main
cosmological parameter science'' contribution
A search for optical and near-infrared counterparts of the compact binary merger GW190814
We report on our observing campaign of the compact binary merger GW190814,
detected by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors on August 14th,
2019. This signal has the best localisation of any observed gravitational wave
(GW) source, with a 90% probability area of 18.5 deg, and an estimated
distance of ~ 240 Mpc. We obtained wide-field observations with the Deca-Degree
Optical Transient Imager (DDOTI) covering 88% of the probability area down to a
limiting magnitude of = 19.9 AB. Nearby galaxies within the high
probability region were targeted with the Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT),
whereas promising candidate counterparts were characterized through
multi-colour photometry with the Reionization and Transients InfraRed (RATIR)
and spectroscopy with the Gran Telescopio de Canarias (GTC). We use our optical
and near-infrared limits in conjunction with the upper limits obtained by the
community to constrain the possible electromagnetic counterparts associated
with the merger. A gamma-ray burst seen along its jet's axis is disfavoured by
the multi-wavelength dataset, whereas the presence of a burst seen at larger
viewing angles is not well constrained. Although our observations are not
sensitive to a kilonova similar to AT2017gfo, we can rule out high-mass (> 0.1
M) fast-moving (mean velocity >= 0.3c) wind ejecta for a possible
kilonova associated with this merger.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, 5 tables; updated acknowledgement section.
Accepted for publication in MNRAS (10 September 2020
GRB 130831a: Rise and demise of a magnetar at z = 0.5
Open Access.--14th Marcel Grossman Meeting On Recent Developments in Theoretical and Experimental General Relativity, Astrophysics and Relativistic Field Theories; University of Rome "La Sapienza"Rome; Italy; 12 July 2015 through 18 July 2015; Code 142474.-- http://www.icra.it/mg/mg14/Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the brightest explosions in the universe, yet the properties of their energy sources are far from understood. Very important clues, however, can be deduced by studying the afterglows of these events. We present observations of GRB 130831A and its afterglow obtained with Swift, Chandra, and multiple ground-based observatories. This burst shows an uncommon drop in the X-ray light curve at about 100 ks after the trigger, with a decay slope of α 7. The standard Forward Shock (FS) model offers no explanation for such a behaviour. Instead, a model in which a newly born magnetar outflow powers the early X-ray emission is found to be viable. After the drop, the X-ray afterglow resumes its decay with a slope typical of FS emission. The optical emission, on the other hand, displays no clear break across the X-ray drop and its decay is consistent with that of the late X-rays. Using both the X-ray and optical data, we show that the FS model can explain the emission after 100 ks. We model our data to infer the kinetic energy of the ejecta and thus estimate the efficiency of a magnetar âcentral engineâ of a GRB. Furthermore, we break down the energy budget of this GRB into prompt emission, late internal dissipation, kinetic energy of the relativistic ejecta, and compare it with the energy of the accompanying supernova, SN 2013fu. Copyright © 2018 by the Editors.All rights reserved.Peer reviewe
VERY HIGH ENERGY Îł-RAYS from the UNIVERSE'S MIDDLE AGE: DETECTION of the z = 0.940 BLAZAR PKS 1441+25 with MAGIC
The flat-spectrum radio quasar PKS 1441+25 at a redshift of z = 0.940 is detected between 40 and 250 GeV with a significance of 25.5Ï using the MAGIC telescopes. Together with the gravitationally lensed blazar QSO B0218+357 (z = 0.944), PKS 1441+25 is the most distant very high energy (VHE) blazar detected to date. The observations were triggered by an outburst in 2015 April seen at GeV energies with the Large Area Telescope on board Fermi. Multi-wavelength observations suggest a subdivision of the high state into two distinct flux states. In the band covered by MAGIC, the variability timescale is estimated to be 6.4 ±1.9 days. Modeling the broadband spectral energy distribution with an external Compton model, the location of the emitting region is understood as originating in the jet outside the broad-line region (BLR) during the period of high activity, while being partially within the BLR during the period of low (typical) activity. The observed VHE spectrum during the highest activity is used to probe the extragalactic background light at an unprecedented distance scale for ground-based gamma-ray astronomy
GROWTH on GW190425: Searching thousands of square degrees to identify an optical or infrared counterpart to a binary neutron star merger with the Zwicky Transient Facility and Palomar Gattini IR
The beginning of the third observing run by the network of gravitational-wave
detectors has brought the discovery of many compact binary coalescences.
Prompted by the detection of the first binary neutron star merger in this run
(GW190425 / LIGO/Virgo S190425z), we performed a dedicated follow-up campaign
with the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and Palomar Gattini-IR telescopes. As
it was a single gravitational-wave detector discovery, the initial skymap
spanned most of the sky observable from Palomar Observatory, the site of both
instruments. Covering 8000 deg of the inner 99\% of the initial skymap over
the next two nights, corresponding to an integrated probability of 46\%, the
ZTF system achieved a depth of \,21 in - and
-bands. Palomar Gattini-IR covered a total of 2200 square degrees in
-band to a depth of 15.5\,mag, including 32\% of the integrated probability
based on the initial sky map. However, the revised skymap issued the following
day reduced these numbers to 21\% for the Zwicky Transient Facility and 19\%
for Palomar Gattini-IR. Out of the 338,646 ZTF transient "alerts" over the
first two nights of observations, we narrowed this list to 15 candidate
counterparts. Two candidates, ZTF19aarykkb and ZTF19aarzaod were particularly
compelling given that their location, distance, and age were consistent with
the gravitational-wave event, and their early optical lightcurves were
photometrically consistent with that of kilonovae. These two candidates were
spectroscopically classified as young core-collapse supernovae. The remaining
candidates were photometrically or spectroscopically ruled-out as supernovae.
Palomar Gattini-IR identified one fast evolving infrared transient after the
merger, PGIR19bn, which was later spectroscopically classified as an M-dwarf
flare. [abridged
GROWTH on S190425z: Searching Thousands of Square Degrees to Identify an Optical or Infrared Counterpart to a Binary Neutron Star Merger with the Zwicky Transient Facility and Palomar Gattini-IR
The third observing run by LVC has brought the discovery of many compact binary coalescences. Following the detection of the first binary neutron star merger in this run (LIGO/Virgo S190425z), we performed a dedicated follow-up campaign with the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and Palomar Gattini-IR telescopes. The initial skymap of this single-detector gravitational wave (GW) trigger spanned most of the sky observable from Palomar Observatory. Covering 8000 deg2 of the initial skymap over the next two nights, corresponding to 46% integrated probability, ZTF system achieved a depth of â21 m AB in g- and r-bands. Palomar Gattini-IR covered 2200 square degrees in J-band to a depth of 15.5 mag, including 32% integrated probability based on the initial skymap. The revised skymap issued the following day reduced these numbers to 21% for the ZTF and 19% for Palomar Gattini-IR. We narrowed 338,646 ZTF transient "alerts" over the first two nights of observations to 15 candidate counterparts. Two candidates, ZTF19aarykkb and ZTF19aarzaod, were particularly compelling given that their location, distance, and age were consistent with the GW event, and their early optical light curves were photometrically consistent with that of kilonovae. These two candidates were spectroscopically classified as young core-collapse supernovae. The remaining candidates were ruled out as supernovae. Palomar Gattini-IR did not identify any viable candidates with multiple detections only after merger time. We demonstrate that even with single-detector GW events localized to thousands of square degrees, systematic kilonova discovery is feasible
Euclid in a nutshell
6 pages, contribution to the ICHEP2022 conference proceedings accompanying the ''Euclid in a nutshell'' and ''Euclid: performance on main cosmological parameter science'' contributionsEuclid is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission designed to constrain the properties of dark energy and gravity via weak gravitational lensing and galaxy clustering. It will carry out a wide area imaging and spectroscopy survey in visible and near-infrared bands, covering approximately 15 000 deg^2 of the extragalactic sky in six years. Euclid will be equipped with a 1.2 m diameter Silicon Carbide (SiC) mirror telescope feeding two instruments built by the Euclid Consortium: a high-quality panoramic visible imager and a near-infrared photometer and spectrograph. These proceedings briefly describe the satellite and its instruments, which are optimised for pristine point spread function and reduced stray light, producing very crisp images. Furthermore, we summarise the survey strategy, the global scheduling, and the preparations for the satellite commissioning and the Science Data Centers to produce scientific data
Euclid: performance on main cosmological parameter science
6 pages, contribution to the ICHEP2022 conference proceedings accompanying the ''Euclid in a nutshell'' and ''Euclid: performance on main cosmological parameter science'' contributionsEuclid will observe 15 000 deg^2 of the darkest sky, in regions free of contamination by light from our Galaxy and our Solar System. Three "Euclid Deep Fields" surveys covering around 40 deg^2 in total will extend the scientific scope of the mission to the high-redshift Universe. The complete survey will be constituted by hundreds of thousands of images and several tens of petabytes of data. About 10 billion sources will be observed. With these images Euclid will probe the expansion history of the Universe and the evolution of cosmic structures. This will be achieved by measuring the effect on galaxy shapes due to dark matter gravitational lensing, and by reconstructing the three-dimensional distribution of cosmic structures from the measured spectroscopic redshifts of galaxies and clusters of galaxies. These proceedings present the implications for cosmology and cosmological constraints of this unprecedented data set. Of particular interest are the expected constraints on the nature of dark energy
The Needlet CMB Trispectrum
We propose a computationally feasible estimator for the needlet trispectrum, which develops earlier work on the bispectrum by Donzelli et al. (2012). Our proposal seems to enjoy a number of useful properties, in particular a) the construction exploits the localization properties of the needlet system, and hence it automatically handles masked regions; b) the procedure incorporates a quadratic correction term to correct for the presence of instrumental noise and sky-cuts; c) it is possible to provide analytic results on its statistical properties, which can serve as a guidance for simulations. The needlet trispectrum we present here provides the natural building blocks for the efficient estimation of nonlinearity parameters on CMB data, and in particular for the third order constants g(N) (L) and tau(N) (L)