515 research outputs found
X-ray Brightening and UV Fading of Tidal Disruption Event ASASSN-15oi
We present late-time observations by Swift and XMM-Newton of the tidal
disruption event (TDE) ASASSN-15oi that reveal that the source brightened in
the X-rays by a factor of one year after its discovery, while it faded
in the UV/optical by a factor of . The XMM-Newton observations
measure a soft X-ray blackbody component with eV,
corresponding to radiation from several gravitational radii of a central black hole. The last Swift epoch taken almost 600 days after
discovery shows that the X-ray source has faded back to its levels during the
UV/optical peak. The timescale of the X-ray brightening suggests that the X-ray
emission could be coming from delayed accretion through a newly forming debris
disk, and that the prompt UV/optical emission is from the prior circularization
of the disk through stream-stream collisions. The lack of spectral evolution
during the X-ray brightening disfavors ionization breakout of a TDE "veiled" by
obscuring material. This is the first time a TDE has been shown to have a
delayed peak in soft X-rays relative to the UV/optical peak, which may be the
first clear signature of the real-time assembly of a nascent accretion disk,
and provides strong evidence for the origin of the UV/optical emission from
circularization, as opposed to reprocessed emission of accretion radiation.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
SN Hunt 248: a super-Eddington outburst from a massive cool hypergiant
We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN Hunt 248, a new
supernova (SN) impostor in NGC 5806, which began a multi-stage outburst in 2014
May. The initial '2014a' discovery brightening exhibited an absolute magnitude
of M~-12 and the spectral characteristics of a cool dense outflow, including
P-Cygni lines of Fe II, H I, Na I, and strong line blanketing from metals. The
source rapidly climbed and peaked near M~-15 mag after two additional weeks.
During this bright '2014b' phase the spectrum became dominated by Balmer
emission and a stronger blue continuum, similar to the SN impostor SN 1997bs.
Archival images from the Hubble Space Telescope between 1997 and 2005 reveal a
luminous (4e5 Lsun) variable precursor star. Its location on the
Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is consistent with a massive (M_init~30 Msun) cool
hypergiant having an extremely dense wind and an Eddington ratio just below
unity. At the onset of the recent 2014a brightening, however, the object became
super-Eddington. The subsequent boost in luminosity during the 2014b phase
probably resulted from circumstellar interaction. SN Hunt 248 provides the
first case of a cool hypergiant undergoing a giant eruption reminiscent of
outbursts from luminous blue variable (LBV) stars. This lends support to the
hypothesis that some cool hypergiants, such as Rho Cas, could be LBVs
masquerading under a pseudo-photosphere created by their extremely dense winds.
Moreover, SN Hunt 248 demonstrates that eruptions stemming from such stars can
rival in peak luminosity the giant outbursts of much more massive systems like
Eta Car.Comment: Accepted to MNRAS on 2014 Dec 1. Post-proof version. 14 pages, 9
figure
The Broad Absorption Line Tidal Disruption Event iPTF15af: Optical and Ultraviolet Evolution
We present multi-wavelength observations of the tidal disruption event (TDE)
iPTF15af, discovered by the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF)
survey at redshift . The optical and ultraviolet (UV) light curves
of the transient show a slow decay over five months, in agreement with previous
optically discovered TDEs. It also has a comparable black-body peak luminosity
of erg/s. The inferred temperature
from the optical and UV data shows a value of (35) K. The
transient is not detected in X-rays up to erg/s within
the first five months after discovery. The optical spectra exhibit two distinct
broad emission lines in the He II region, and at later times also H
emission. Additionally, emission from [N III] and [O III] is detected, likely
produced by the Bowen fluorescence effect. UV spectra reveal broad emission and
absorption lines associated with high-ionization states of N V, C IV, Si IV,
and possibly P V. These features, analogous to those of broad absorption line
quasars (BAL QSOs), require an absorber with column densities cm. This optically thick gas would also explain the
non-detection in soft X-rays. The profile of the absorption lines with the
highest column density material at the largest velocity is opposite that of BAL
QSOs. We suggest that radiation pressure generated by the TDE flare at early
times could have provided the initial acceleration mechanism for this gas.
Spectral UV line monitoring of future TDEs could test this proposal.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, published in Ap
Optical and near infrared observations of SN 2014ck: an outlier among the Type Iax supernovae
We present a comprehensive set of optical and near-infrared photometric and
spectroscopic observations for SN 2014ck, extending from pre-maximum to six
months later. These data indicate that SN 2014ck is photometrically nearly
identical to SN 2002cx, which is the prototype of the class of peculiar
transients named SNe Iax. Similar to SN 2002cx, SN 2014ck reached a peak
brightness mag, with a post-maximum decline-rate mag. However, the spectroscopic sequence shows
similarities with SN 2008ha, which was three magnitudes fainter and faster
declining. In particular, SN 2014ck exhibits extremely low ejecta velocities,
km s at maximum, which are close to the value measured for
SN 2008ha and half the value inferred for SN 2002cx. The bolometric light curve
of SN 2014ck is consistent with the production of of Ni. The spectral identification of several iron-peak
features, in particular Co II lines in the NIR, provides a clear link to SNe
Ia. Also, the detection of narrow Si, S and C features in the pre-maximum
spectra suggests a thermonuclear explosion mechanism. The late-phase spectra
show a complex overlap of both permitted and forbidden Fe, Ca and Co lines. The
appearance of strong [Ca~II] 7292, 7324 again mirrors the
late-time spectra of SN 2008ha and SN 2002cx. The photometric resemblance to SN
2002cx and the spectral similarities to SN 2008ha highlight the peculiarity of
SN 2014ck, and the complexity and heterogeneity of the SNe Iax class.Comment: MNRAS Accepted 2016 March 22. Received 2016 March
Did the progenitor of SN 2011dh have a binary companion?
We present late-time Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet (UV) and optical observations of the site of SN 2011dh in the galaxy M51, ∼1164 days post-explosion. At the supernova (SN) location, we observe a point source that is visible at all wavelengths, which is significantly fainter than the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the yellow supergiant progenitor observed prior to explosion. The previously reported photometry of the progenitor is, therefore, completely unaffected by any sources that may persist at the SN location after explosion. In comparison with the previously reported late-time photometric evolution of SN 2011dh, we find that the light curve has plateaued at all wavelengths. The SED of the late-time source is clearly inconsistent with an SED of stellar origin. Although the SED is bright at UV wavelengths, there is no strong evidence that the late-time luminosity originates solely from a stellar source corresponding to the binary companion, although a partial contribution to the observed UV flux from a companion star cannot be ruled out
The Subluminous and Peculiar Type Ia Supernova PTF09dav
PTF09dav is a peculiar subluminous type Ia supernova (SN) discovered by the
Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). Spectroscopically, it appears superficially
similar to the class of subluminous SN1991bg-like SNe, but it has several
unusual features which make it stand out from this population. Its peak
luminosity is fainter than any previously discovered SN1991bg-like SN Ia (M_B
-15.5), but without the unusually red optical colors expected if the faint
luminosity were due to extinction. The photospheric optical spectra have very
unusual strong lines of Sc II and Mg I, with possible Sr II, together with
stronger than average Ti II and low velocities of ~6000 km/s. The host galaxy
of PTF09dav is ambiguous. The SN lies either on the extreme outskirts (~41kpc)
of a spiral galaxy, or in an very faint (M_R>-12.8) dwarf galaxy, unlike other
1991bg-like SNe which are invariably associated with massive, old stellar
populations. PTF09dav is also an outlier on the light-curve-width--luminosity
and color--luminosity relations derived for other sub-luminous SNe Ia. The
inferred 56Ni mass is small (0.019+/-0.003Msun), as is the estimated ejecta
mass of 0.36Msun. Taken together, these properties make PTF09dav a remarkable
event. We discuss various physical models that could explain PTF09dav. Helium
shell detonation or deflagration on the surface of a CO white-dwarf can explain
some of the features of PTF09dav, including the presence of Sc and the low
photospheric velocities, but the observed Si and Mg are not predicted to be
very abundant in these models. We conclude that no single model is currently
capable of explaining all of the observed signatures of PTF09dav.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
The Host Galaxies of Type Ia Supernovae Discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory
We present spectroscopic observations of the host galaxies of 82 low-redshift type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) discovered by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). We determine star-formation rates, gas-phase stellar metallicities, and stellar masses and ages of these objects. As expected, strong correlations between the SN Ia light-curve width (stretch) and the host age mass metallicity are found: fainter, faster-declining events tend to be hosted by older massive metal-rich galaxies. There is some evidence that redder SNe Ia explode in higher metallicity galaxies, but we found no relation between the SN colour and host galaxy extinction based on the Balmer decrement, suggesting that the colour variation of these SNe does not primarily arise from this source. SNe Ia in higher-mass metallicity galaxies also appear brighter after stretch colour corrections than their counterparts in lower mass hosts, and the stronger correlation is with gas-phase metallicity suggesting this may be the more important variable. We also compared the host stellar mass distribution to that in galaxy targeted SN surveys and the high-redshift untargeted Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS). SNLS has many more low mass galaxies, while the targeted searches have fewer. This can be explained by an evolution in the galaxy stellar mass function, coupled with a SN delay-time distribution proportional to t1. Finally, we found no significant difference in the mass--metallicity relation of our SN Ia hosts compared to field galaxies, suggesting any metallicity effect on the SN Ia rate is small
OGLE16aaa - a Signature of a Hungry Super Massive Black Hole
We present the discovery and first three months of follow-up observations of
a currently on-going unusual transient detected by the OGLE-IV survey, located
in the centre of a galaxy at redshift z=0.1655. The long rise to absolute
magnitude of -20.5 mag, slow decline, very broad He and H spectral features
make OGLE16aaa similar to other optical/UV Tidal Disruption Events (TDEs). Weak
narrow emission lines in the spectrum and archival photometric observations
suggest the host galaxy is a weak-line Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN), which has
been accreting at higher rate in the past. OGLE16aaa, along with SDSS J0748,
seems to form a sub-class of TDEs by weakly or recently active super-massive
black holes (SMBHs). This class might bridge the TDEs by quiescent SMBHs and
flares observed as "changing-look QSOs", if we interpret the latter as TDEs. If
this picture is true, the previously applied requirement for identifying a
flare as a TDE that it had to come from an inactive nucleus, could be leading
to observational bias in TDE selection, thus affecting TDE-rate estimations.Comment: Accepted in MNRAS Letter
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