Abstract
We present the largest compilation to date of optical observations during and following fast radio bursts (FRBs). The data set includes our dedicated simultaneous and follow-up observations, ...as well as serendipitous archival survey observations, for a sample of 15 well-localized FRBs: eight repeating and seven one-off sources. Our simultaneous (and nearly simultaneous with a 0.4 s delay) optical observations of 13 (1) bursts from the repeating FRB 20220912A provide the deepest such limits to date for any extragalactic FRB, reaching a luminosity limit of
ν
L
ν
≲ 10
42
erg s
−1
(≲2 × 10
41
erg s
−1
) with 15–400 s exposures; an optical-flux-to-radio-fluence ratio of
f
opt
/
F
radio
≲ 10
−7
ms
−1
(≲10
−8
ms
−1
); and a flux ratio of
f
opt
/
f
radio
≲ 0.02–≲2 × 10
−5
(≲10
−6
) on millisecond to second timescales. These simultaneous limits provide useful constraints in the context of FRB emission models, such as the pulsar magnetosphere and pulsar nebula models. Interpreting all available optical limits in the context of the synchrotron maser model, we find that they constrain the flare energies to ≲10
43
–10
49
erg (depending on the distances of the various repeating FRBs, with ≲10
39
erg for the Galactic SGR 1935+2154). These limits are generally at least an order of magnitude larger than those inferred from the FRBs themselves, although in the case of FRB 20220912A our simultaneous and rapid follow-up observations severely restrict the model parameter space. We conclude by exploring the potential of future simultaneous and rapid-response observations with large optical telescopes.
Abstract
The optical-ultraviolet transient AT 2021loi is located at the center of its host galaxy. Its spectral features identify it as a member of the Bowen fluorescence flare (BFF) class. The first ...member of this class was considered to be related to a tidal disruption event, but enhanced accretion onto an already active supermassive black hole was suggested as an alternative explanation. Having occurred in a previously known unobscured active galactic nucleus, AT 2021loi strengthens the latter interpretation. Its light curve is similar to those of previous BFFs, showing a rebrightening approximately 1 yr after the main peak (which was not explicitly identified but might be the case in all previous BFFs). An emission feature around 4680 Å, seen in the preflare spectrum, strengthens by a factor of ∼2 around the optical peak of the flare and is clearly seen as a double-peaked feature then, suggesting a blend of N
iii
λ
4640 with He
ii
λ
4686 as its origin. The appearance of O
iii
λ
3133 and possible N
iii
λλ
4097, 4103 (blended with H
δ
) during the flare further support a Bowen fluorescence classification. Here we present ZTF, ATLAS, Keck, Las Cumbres Observatory, NEOWISE-R, Swift AMI, and Very Large Array observations of AT 2021loi, making it one of the best-observed BFFs to date. It thus provides some clarity on the nature of BFFs but also further demonstrates the diversity of nuclear transients.
We have identified a luminous star at the position of supernova (SN) 2011dh/PTF11eon, in pre-SN archival, multi-band images of the nearby, nearly face-on galaxy Messier 51 (M51) obtained by the ...Hubble Space Telescope with the Advanced Camera for Surveys. This identification has been confirmed, to the highest available astrometric precision, using a Keck-II adaptive-optics image. The available early-time spectra and photometry indicate that the SN is a stripped-envelope, core-collapse Type IIb, with a more compact progenitor (radius ~ 1011 cm) than was the case for the well-studied SN IIb 1993J. We infer that the extinction to SN 2011dh and its progenitor arises from a low Galactic foreground contribution, and that the SN environment is of roughly solar metallicity. The detected object has absolute magnitude M 0 V --7.7 and effective temperature ~6000 K. The star's radius, ~1013 cm, is more extended than what has been inferred for the SN progenitor. We speculate that the detected star is either an unrelated star very near the position of the actual progenitor, or, more likely, the progenitor's companion in a mass-transfer binary system. The position of the detected star in a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is consistent with an initial mass of 17-19 M . The light of this star could easily conceal, even in the ultraviolet, the presence of a stripped, compact, very hot (~105 K), nitrogen-rich Wolf-Rayet star progenitor.
We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of the type Ibn supernova (SN) 2019uo, the second ever SN Ibn with flash ionization (He ii, C iii, N iii) features in its early spectra. SN ...2019uo displays a rapid post-peak luminosity decline of 0.1 mag day−1 similar to most of the SNe Ibn, but is fainter ( mag) than a typical SN Ibn and shows a color evolution that places it between SNe Ib and the most extreme SNe Ibn. SN 2019uo shows P-cygni He i features in the early spectra which gradually evolve and become emission dominated post peak. It also shows faster evolution in line velocities as compared to most other members of the type Ibn subclass. The bolometric light curve is fairly well described by a 56Ni + circumstellar interaction model.
ABSTRACT
Low-luminosity Type II supernovae (LL SNe II) make up the low explosion energy end of core-collapse SNe, but their study and physical understanding remain limited. We present SN 2016aqf, an ...LL SN II with extensive spectral and photometric coverage. We measure a V-band peak magnitude of −14.58 mag, a plateau duration of ∼100 d, and an inferred 56Ni mass of 0.008 ± 0.002 M⊙. The peak bolometric luminosity, Lbol ≈ 1041.4 erg s−1, and its spectral evolution are typical of other SNe in the class. Using our late-time spectra, we measure the O i λλ6300, 6364 lines, which we compare against SN II spectral synthesis models to constrain the progenitor zero-age main-sequence mass. We find this to be 12 ± 3 M⊙. Our extensive late-time spectral coverage of the Fe ii λ7155 and Ni ii λ7378 lines permits a measurement of the Ni/Fe abundance ratio, a parameter sensitive to the inner progenitor structure and explosion mechanism dynamics. We measure a constant abundance ratio evolution of $0.081^{+0.009}_{-0.010}$ and argue that the best epochs to measure the ratio are at ∼200–300 d after explosion. We place this measurement in the context of a large sample of SNe II and compare against various physical, light-curve, and spectral parameters, in search of trends that might allow indirect ways of constraining this ratio. We do not find correlations predicted by theoretical models; however, this may be the result of the exact choice of parameters and explosion mechanism in the models, the simplicity of them, and/or primordial contamination in the measured abundance ratio.
ABSTRACT Extensive photometric and spectroscopic observations are presented for SN 2014cx, a Type IIP supernova (SN) exploding in the nearby galaxy NGC 337. The observations are performed in optical ...and ultraviolet bands, covering from −20 to +400 days from the peak light. The stringent detection limit from prediscovery images suggests that this supernova was actually detected within about one day after explosion. Evolution of the very early time light curve of SN 2014cx is similar to that predicted from a shock breakout and post-shock cooling decline before reaching the optical peak. Our photometric observations show that SN 2014cx has a plateau duration of ∼100 days, an absolute V-band magnitude of mag at days, and a nickel mass of 0.056 0.008 . The spectral evolution of SN 2014cx resembles that of normal SNe IIP like SN 1999em and SN 2004et, except that it has a slightly higher expansion velocity (∼4200 at 50 days). From the cooling curve of photospheric temperature, we derive that the progenitor has a pre-explosion radius of ∼640 R , consistent with those obtained from SuperNova Explosion Code modeling (∼620 R ) and hydrodynamical modeling of the observables (∼570 R ). Moreover, the hydrodynamical simulations yield a total explosion energy of erg, and an ejected mass of ∼8 . These results indicate that the immediate progenitor of SN 2014cx is likely a red supergiant star with a mass of ∼10 .
We use the first compilation of 72 core-collapse supernovae (SNe) from the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) to study their observed subtype distribution in dwarf galaxies compared to giant galaxies. ...Our sample is the largest single-survey, untargeted, spectroscopically classified, homogeneous collection of core-collapse events ever assembled, spanning a wide host-galaxy luminosity range (down to M{sub r} {approx} -14 mag) and including a substantial fraction (>20%) of dwarf (M{sub r} {>=} -18 mag) hosts. We find more core-collapse SNe in dwarf galaxies than expected and several interesting trends emerge. We use detailed subclassifications of stripped-envelope core-collapse SNe and find that all Type I core-collapse events occurring in dwarf galaxies are either SNe Ib or broad-lined SNe Ic (SNe Ic-BL), while 'normal' SNe Ic dominate in giant galaxies. We also see a significant excess of SNe IIb in dwarf hosts. We hypothesize that in lower metallicity hosts, metallicity-driven mass loss is reduced, allowing massive stars that would have appeared as 'normal' SNe Ic in metal-rich galaxies to retain some He and H, exploding as Ib/IIb events. At the same time, another mechanism allows some stars to undergo extensive stripping and explode as SNe Ic-BL (and presumably also as long-duration gamma-ray bursts). Our results are still limited by small-number statistics, and our measurements of the observed N(Ib/c)/N(II) number ratio in dwarf and giant hosts (0.25{sup +0.3}{sub -0.15} and 0.23{sup +0.11}{sub -0.08}, respectively; 1{sigma} uncertainties) are consistent with previous studies and theoretical predictions. As additional PTF data accumulate, more robust statistical analyses will be possible, allowing the evolution of massive stars to be probed via the dwarf-galaxy SN population.
ABSTRACT The radius and surface composition of an exploding massive star, as well as the explosion energy per unit mass, can be measured using early UV observations of core-collapse supernovae (SNe). ...We present the first results from a simultaneous GALEX/PTF search for early ultraviolet (UV) emission from SNe. Six SNe II and one Type II superluminous SN (SLSN-II) are clearly detected in the GALEX near-UV (NUV) data. We compare our detection rate with theoretical estimates based on early, shock-cooling UV light curves calculated from models that fit existing Swift and GALEX observations well, combined with volumetric SN rates. We find that our observations are in good agreement with calculated rates assuming that red supergiants (RSGs) explode with fiducial radii of 500 R , explosion energies of 1051 erg, and ejecta masses of 10 M . Exploding blue supergiants and Wolf-Rayet stars are poorly constrained. We describe how such observations can be used to derive the progenitor radius, surface composition, and explosion energy per unit mass of such SN events, and we demonstrate why UV observations are critical for such measurements. We use the fiducial RSG parameters to estimate the detection rate of SNe during the shock-cooling phase (<1 day after explosion) for several ground-based surveys (PTF, ZTF, and LSST). We show that the proposed wide-field UV explorer ULTRASAT mission is expected to find >85 SNe per year (∼0.5 SN per deg2), independent of host galaxy extinction, down to an NUV detection limit of 21.5 mag AB. Our pilot GALEX/PTF project thus convincingly demonstrates that a dedicated, systematic SN survey at the NUV band is a compelling method to study how massive stars end their life.
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