167 research outputs found
Electron spectroscopy of carbon materials: Experiment and theory
We present a comparative spectroscopic study of carbon as graphite, diamond and C60 using C1s K-edge electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), X-ray emission spectroscopy, and theoretical modelling. The first principles calculations of these spectra are obtained in the local density approximation using a self-consistent Gaussian basis pseudo-potential method. Calculated spectra show excellent agreement with experiment and are able to discriminate not only between various carbon hybridisations but also local variation in environment. Core-hole effects on the calculated spectra are also investigated. For the first time, the EEL spectrum of carbyne is calculated
A Calibration of NICMOS Camera 2 for Low Count-Rates
NICMOS 2 observations are crucial for constraining distances to most of the
existing sample of z > 1 SNe Ia. Unlike the conventional calibration programs,
these observations involve long exposure times and low count rates. Reciprocity
failure is known to exist in HgCdTe devices and a correction for this effect
has already been implemented for high and medium count-rates. However
observations at faint count-rates rely on extrapolations. Here instead, we
provide a new zeropoint calibration directly applicable to faint sources. This
is obtained via inter-calibration of NIC2 F110W/F160W with WFC3 in the low
count-rate regime using z ~ 1 elliptical galaxies as tertiary calibrators.
These objects have relatively simple near-IR SEDs, uniform colors, and their
extended nature gives superior signal-to-noise at the same count rate than
would stars. The use of extended objects also allows greater tolerances on PSF
profiles. We find ST magnitude zeropoints (after the installation of the NICMOS
cooling system, NCS) of 25.296 +- 0.022 for F110W and 25.803 +- 0.023 for
F160W, both in agreement with the calibration extrapolated from count-rates
1,000 times larger (25.262 and 25.799). Before the installation of the NCS, we
find 24.843 +- 0.025 for F110W and 25.498 +- 0.021 for F160W, also in agreement
with the high-count-rate calibration (24.815 and 25.470). We also check the
standard bandpasses of WFC3 and NICMOS 2 using a range of stars and galaxies at
different colors and find mild tension for WFC3, limiting the accuracy of the
zeropoints. To avoid human bias, our cross-calibration was "blinded" in that
the fitted zeropoint differences were hidden until the analysis was finalized.Comment: Accepted for Publication in the Astronomical Journal. New version
contains added referenc
The Hubble Space Telescope Cluster Supernova Survey: V. Improving the Dark Energy Constraints Above z>1 and Building an Early-Type-Hosted Supernova Sample
We present ACS, NICMOS, and Keck AO-assisted photometry of 20 Type Ia
supernovae SNe Ia from the HST Cluster Supernova Survey. The SNe Ia were
discovered over the redshift interval 0.623 < z < 1.415. Fourteen of these SNe
Ia pass our strict selection cuts and are used in combination with the world's
sample of SNe Ia to derive the best current constraints on dark energy. Ten of
our new SNe Ia are beyond redshift , thereby nearly doubling the
statistical weight of HST-discovered SNe Ia beyond this redshift. Our detailed
analysis corrects for the recently identified correlation between SN Ia
luminosity and host galaxy mass and corrects the NICMOS zeropoint at the count
rates appropriate for very distant SNe Ia. Adding these supernovae improves the
best combined constraint on the dark energy density \rho_{DE}(z) at redshifts
1.0 < z < 1.6 by 18% (including systematic errors). For a LambdaCDM universe,
we find \Omega_\Lambda = 0.724 +0.015/-0.016 (68% CL including systematic
errors). For a flat wCDM model, we measure a constant dark energy
equation-of-state parameter w = -0.985 +0.071/-0.077 (68% CL). Curvature is
constrained to ~0.7% in the owCDM model and to ~2% in a model in which dark
energy is allowed to vary with parameters w_0 and w_a. Tightening further the
constraints on the time evolution of dark energy will require several
improvements, including high-quality multi-passband photometry of a sample of
several dozen z>1 SNe Ia. We describe how such a sample could be efficiently
obtained by targeting cluster fields with WFC3 on HST.Comment: 27 pages, 11 figures. Submitted to ApJ. This first posting includes
updates in response to comments from the referee. See
http://www.supernova.lbl.gov for other papers in the series pertaining to the
HST Cluster SN Survey. The updated supernova Union2.1 compilation of 580 SNe
is available at http://supernova.lbl.gov/Unio
A New Determination of the High Redshift Type Ia Supernova Rates with the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys
We present a new measurement of the volumetric rate of Type Ia supernova up
to a redshift of 1.7, using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) GOODS data
combined with an additional HST dataset covering the North GOODS field
collected in 2004. We employ a novel technique that does not require
spectroscopic data for identifying Type Ia supernovae (although spectroscopic
measurements of redshifts are used for over half the sample); instead we employ
a Bayesian approach using only photometric data to calculate the probability
that an object is a Type Ia supernova. This Bayesian technique can easily be
modified to incorporate improved priors on supernova properties, and it is
well-suited for future high-statistics supernovae searches in which
spectroscopic follow up of all candidates will be impractical. Here, the method
is validated on both ground- and space-based supernova data having some
spectroscopic follow up. We combine our volumetric rate measurements with low
redshift supernova data, and fit to a number of possible models for the
evolution of the Type Ia supernova rate as a function of redshift. The data do
not distinguish between a flat rate at redshift > 0.5 and a previously proposed
model, in which the Type Ia rate peaks at redshift >1 due to a significant
delay from star-formation to the supernova explosion. Except for the highest
redshifts, where the signal to noise ratio is generally too low to apply this
technique, this approach yields smaller or comparable uncertainties than
previous work.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
Rest-Frame R-band Lightcurve of a z~1.3 Supernova Obtained with Keck Laser Adaptive Optics
We present Keck diffraction limited H-band photometry of a z~1.3 Type Ia
supernova (SN) candidate, first identified in a Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
search for SNe in massive high redshift galaxy clusters. The adaptive optics
(AO) data were obtained with the Laser Guide Star facility during four
observing runs from September to November 2005. In the analysis of data from
the observing run nearest to maximum SN brightness, the SN was found to have a
magnitude H=23.9 +/- 0.14 (Vega). We present the H-band (approximately
rest-frame R) light curve and provide a detailed analysis of the AO photometric
uncertainties. By constraining the aperture correction with a nearby (4"
separation) star we achieve 0.14 magnitude photometric precision, despite the
spatially varying AO PSF.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, Accepted for Publication in AJ Updated the
citations, fixed typo
Precision Measurement of The Most Distant Spectroscopically Confirmed Supernova Ia with the Hubble Space Telescope
We report the discovery of a redshift 1.71 supernova in the GOODS North
field. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ACS spectrum has almost negligible
contamination from the host or neighboring galaxies. Although the rest frame
sampled range is too blue to include any Si ii line, a principal component
analysis allows us to confirm it as a Type Ia supernova with 92% confidence. A
recent serendipitous archival HST WFC3 grism spectrum contributed a key element
of the confirmation by giving a host-galaxy redshift of 1.713 +/- 0.007. In
addition to being the most distant SN Ia with spectroscopic confirmation, this
is the most distant Ia with a precision color measurement. We present the ACS
WFC and NICMOS 2 photometry and ACS and WFC3 spectroscopy. Our derived
supernova distance is in agreement with the prediction of LambdaCDM.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, published in ApJ with updated analysi
Subaru FOCAS Spectroscopic Observations of High-Redshift Supernovae
We present spectra of high-redshift supernovae (SNe) that were taken with the
Subaru low resolution optical spectrograph, FOCAS. These SNe were found in SN
surveys with Suprime-Cam on Subaru, the CFH12k camera on the
Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), and the Advanced Camera for Surveys
(ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). These SN surveys specifically
targeted z>1 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). From the spectra of 39 candidates, we
obtain redshifts for 32 candidates and spectroscopically identify 7 active
candidates as probable SNe Ia, including one at z=1.35, which is the most
distant SN Ia to be spectroscopically confirmed with a ground-based telescope.
An additional 4 candidates are identified as likely SNe Ia from the
spectrophotometric properties of their host galaxies. Seven candidates are not
SNe Ia, either being SNe of another type or active galactic nuclei. When SNe Ia
are observed within a week of maximum light, we find that we can
spectroscopically identify most of them up to z=1.1. Beyond this redshift, very
few candidates were spectroscopically identified as SNe Ia. The current
generation of super red-sensitive, fringe-free CCDs will push this redshift
limit higher.Comment: 19 pages, 26 figures. PASJ in press. see
http://www.supernova.lbl.gov/2009ClusterSurvey/ for additional information
pertaining to the HST Cluster SN Surve
The Hubble Space Telescope Cluster Supernova Survey: VI. The Volumetric Type Ia Supernova Rate
We present a measurement of the volumetric Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) rate out
to z ~ 1.6 from the Hubble Space Telescope Cluster Supernova Survey. In
observations spanning 189 orbits with the Advanced Camera for Surveys we
discovered 29 SNe, of which approximately 20 are SNe Ia. Twelve of these SNe Ia
are located in the foregrounds and backgrounds of the clusters targeted in the
survey. Using these new data, we derive the volumetric SN Ia rate in four broad
redshift bins, finding results consistent with previous measurements at z > 1
and strengthening the case for a SN Ia rate that is equal to or greater than
~0.6 x 10^-4/yr/Mpc^3 at z ~ 1 and flattening out at higher redshift. We
provide SN candidates and efficiency calculations in a form that makes it easy
to rebin and combine these results with other measurements for increased
statistics. Finally, we compare the assumptions about host-galaxy dust
extinction used in different high-redshift rate measurements, finding that
different assumptions may induce significant systematic differences between
measurements.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures. Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal. Revised
version following referee comments. See the HST Cluster SN Survey website at
http://supernova.lbl.gov/2009ClusterSurvey for control time simulations in a
machine-readable table and a complete listing of transient candidates from
the surve
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