We report photometric and spectroscopic observations of the nearby Type Ia Supernova (SN Ia) 2012ht from -15.8 days to +49.1 days after B-band maximum. The decline rate of the light curve is Delta m ...sub(15)(B) = 1.39 + or - 0.05 mag, which is intermediate between normal and subluminous SNe Ia, and similar to that of the "transitional" Type Ia SN 2004eo. The spectral line profiles also closely resemble those of SN 2004eo. We were able to observe SN 2012ht at a very early phase, when it was still rising and was about three magnitudes fainter than at the peak. The rise time to the B-band maximum is estimated to be 17.6 + or - 0.5 days and the time of the explosion is MJD 56277.98 + or - 0.13. SN 2012ht is the first transitional SN Ia whose rise time is directly measured without using light curve templates, and the fifth SN Ia overall. This rise time is consistent with those of the other four SNe within the measurement error, even including the extremely early detection of SN 2013dy. The rising part of the light curve can be fitted by a quadratic function, and shows no sign of a shock-heating component due to the interaction of the ejecta with a companion star. The rise time is significantly longer than that inferred for subluminous SNe such as SN 1991bg, which suggests that a progenitor and/or explosion mechanism of transitional SNe Ia are more similar to normal SNe Ia rather than to subluminous SNe Ia.
The biologging approach of attaching a logger to the body of an animal provides information that cannot be obtained by conventional direct visual observation. Marine zoologists have used this ...technique for observing sperm whales preying on giant squids in the deep sea. However, it is almost impossible to capture a sperm whale to attach a logger, because of its large size. Therefore, researchers have used a long pole to attach a logger from a ship to the back of sperm whales. Unfortunately, this method is risky and requires a skilled team. In this paper, we propose a logger attaching system using a drone to solve this problem. The proposed method can be trained on land; thus, it is relatively easy to train a team, and the mobility of the drone can shorten the installation time. Several pieces of equipment developed for the proposed method are described in detail. Furthermore, field experiments were performed with sperm whales to confirm the feasibility of the system. A suction cup of the seventh prototype of the whale rover was adsorbed onto the back of a sperm whale. Although a complete installation was not possible, it was demonstrated that operation was possible in a short time using the proposed method.
Abstract
We present optical and near-infrared observations of the nearby Type Iax supernova (SN) 2014dt from 14 to 410 d after the maximum light. The velocities of the iron absorption lines in the ...early phase indicated that SN 2014dt showed slower expansion than the well-observed Type Iax SNe 2002cx, 2005hk, and 2012Z. In the late phase, the evolution of the light curve and that of the spectra were considerably slower. The spectral energy distribution kept roughly the same shape after ∼100 d, and the bolometric light curve flattened during the same period. These observations suggest the existence of an optically thick component that almost fully trapped the γ-ray energy from 56Co decay. These findings are consistent with the predictions of the weak deflagration model, leaving a bound white dwarf remnant after the explosion.
Abstract
We present extensively dense observations of the super-Chandrasekhar supernova (SC SN) candidate SN 2012dn from −11 to +140 d after the date of its B-band maximum in the optical and ...near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths conducted through the OISTER ToO (Optical and Infrared Synergetic Telescopes for Education and Research Target of Opportunity) program. The NIR light curves and color evolutions up to 35 days after the B-band maximum provided an excellent match with those of another SC SN 2009dc, providing further support to the nature of SN 2012dn as an SC SN. We found that SN 2012dn exhibited strong excesses in the NIR wavelengths from 30 d after the B-band maximum. The H- and K
s-band light curves exhibited much later maximum dates at 40 and 70 d after the B-band maximum, respectively, compared with those of normal SNe Ia. The H- and K
s-band light curves subtracted by those of SN 2009dc displayed plateaued evolutions, indicating an NIR echo from the surrounding dust. The distance to the inner boundary of the dust shell is limited to 4.8–6.4 × 10−2 pc. No emission lines were found in its early phase spectra, suggesting that the ejecta–circumstellar material interaction could not occur. On the other hand, we found no signature that strongly supports the scenario of dust formation. The mass-loss rate of the pre-explosion system is estimated to be 10−6–10−5 M
⊙ yr−1, assuming that the wind velocity of the system is 10–100 km s−1, which suggests that the progenitor of SN 2012dn could be a recurrent nova system. We conclude that the progenitor of this SC SN could be explained by the single-degenerate scenario.
We carried out photometric observations of the SU UMa-type dwarf nova ER UMa during 2011 and 2012, which showed the existence of persistent negative superhumps even during the superoutburst. We ...performed a two-dimensional period analysis of its light curves by using a method called “least absolute shrinkage and selection operator” (Lasso) and the “phase dispersion minimization” (PDM) analysis, and found that the period of negative superhumps systematically changed between a superoutburst and the next superoutburst. The trend of the period change can be interpreted as a reflection of the change of the disk radius. This change is in agreement with the one predicted by the thermal tidal instability model. The normal outburst during a supercycle showed a general trend that the rising rate to its maximum becomes slower as the next superoutburst is approaching. The change can be interpreted as the consequence of the increased gas-stream flow into the inner region of the disk as a result of the tilted disk. Some of superoutbursts were found to be triggered by a precursor normal outburst when the positive superhump appeared to develop. The positive and negative superhumps coexisted during the superoutburst. Positive superhumps were prominent only for four or five days after the supermaximum, while the signal of negative superhumps became stronger after the middle phase of the superoutburst plateau. A simple combination of the positive and negative superhumps was found to be insufficient for reproduction of the complex profile variation. We were able to detect the developing phase of positive superhumps (stage A superhumps) for the first time in ER UMa-type dwarf novae. Using the period of stage A superhumps, we obtained a mass ratio of 0.100(15), which indicates that ER UMa is on the ordinary evolutional track of cataclysmic variable stars.
Abstract
The cataclysmic variable SDSS J214354.59+124457.8 (hereafter SDSS J214354) was observed photometrically on sixty one nights between 2012 July 28 and 2019 May 26. The long term variation of ...this object shows changes between two phases; a dwarf nova type and a novalike. This implies that the object belongs to the group of Z Cam type stars. The timing analysis of the light curve reveals a periodic signal at 0.13902(5) d, which we identify as the superhump period. However, the fractional superhump excess of 10 per cent longer than the orbital period is exceptionally large. We obtained a mass ratio of ∼0.4, which is above the accepted upper limit of q = 0.33 for the formation of superhumps. We suggest that the object contains a secondary with an evolved core. With an orbital period of 0.126 d, SDSS J214354 is situated at the upper border of the period gap. The long term light curve of SDSS J214354 is similar to those of Z Cam type stars which are characterized by recurring standstills, followed by short intervals with DN type outbursts. Therefore, we conclude that SDSS J214354 is a new member of the Z Cam type stars.
Abstract We observed RZ LMi, which is renowned for its extremely short (∼19 d) supercycle and is a member of a small, unusual class of cataclysmic variables called ER UMa-type dwarf novae, in 2013 ...and 2016. In 2016, the supercycles of this object substantially lengthened in comparison to the previous measurements to 35, 32, and 60 d for three consecutive superoutbursts. We consider that the object virtually experienced a transition to the nova-like state (permanent superhumper). This observed behavior reproduced the prediction of the thermal-tidal instability model extremely well. We detected a precursor in the 2016 superoutburst and detected growing (stage A) superhumps with a mean period of 0.0602(1) d in 2016 and in 2013. Combined with the period of superhumps immediately after the superoutburst, the mass ratio is not as small as in WZ Sge-type dwarf novae, having orbital periods similar to RZ LMi. By using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) two-dimensional power spectra, we detected possible negative superhumps with a period of 0.05710(1) d. We estimated an orbital period of 0.05792 d, which suggests a mass ratio of 0.105(5). This relatively large mass ratio is even above that of ordinary SU UMa-type dwarf novae, and it is also possible that the exceptionally high mass-transfer rate in RZ LMi may be a result of a stripped secondary with an evolved core in a system evolving toward an AM CVn-type object.
We report on two superoutbursts of the AM CVn-type object CR Boo in 2014 April–March and 2015 May–June. A precursor outburst accompanied both of these superoutbursts. During the rising branch of the ...main superoutburst in 2014, we detected growing superhumps (stage A superhumps) whose period was 0.017669(24) d. Assuming that this period reflects the dynamical precession rate at the radius of the 3:1 resonance, we could estimate the mass ratio (q = M
2/M
1) of 0.101(4) by using the stage A superhump period and the orbital period of 0.0170290(6) d. This mass ratio is consistent with that expected from the theoretical evolutionary model of AM CVn-type objects. The detection of precursor outbursts and stage A superhumps is the second case in AM CVn-type objects. There are two interpretations of the outbursts of AM CVn-type objects. One is a dwarf nova (DN) outbursts analogy, which suggets that the outbursts are caused by thermal and tidal instabilities. Another is the VY Scl-type variation, which suggests that the outbursts are caused by the variation of the mass-transfer rate of the secondary.This detection of the superhump variations strongly supports the former interpretation.
We present optical and near-infrared observations of the nearby Type Iax supernova (SN) 2014dt from 14 to 410 days after the maximum light. The velocities of the iron absorption lines in the early ...phase indicated that SN 2014dt showed slower expansion than the well-observed Type Iax SNe 2002cx, 2005hk and 2012Z. In the late phase, the evolution of the light curve and that of the spectra were considerably slower. The spectral energy distribution kept roughly the same shape after ~100 days, and the bolometric light curve flattened during the same period. These observations suggest the existence of an optically thick component that almost fully trapped the {\gamma}-ray energy from 56 Co decay. These findings are consistent with the predictions of the weak deflagration model, leaving a bound white dwarf remnant after the explosion.
We report on two superoutbursts of the AM CVn-type object CR Boo in 2014 April--March and 2015 May--June. A precursor outburst acompanied both of these superoutbursts. During the rising branch of the ...main superoutburst in 2014, we detected growing superhumps (stage A superhumps) whose period was \(0.017669(24)\) d. Assuming that this period reflects the dynamical precession rate at the radius of the 3:1 resonance, we could estimate the mass ratio (\(q=M_2/M_1\)) of 0.101(4) by using the stage A superhump period and the orbital one of 0.0170290(6) d. This mass ratio is consistent with that expected by the theoretical evolutionary model of AM CVn-type objects. The detection of precursor outbursts and stage A superhumps is the second case in AM CVn-type objects. There are two interpretations of the outbursts of AM CVn-type objects. One is a dwarf nova (DN) outbursts analogy, which is caused by thermal and tidal instabilities. Another is the VY Scl-type variation, which is caused by the variation of the mass-transfer rate of the secondary. This detection of the superhump variations strongly suggests the former interpretation.
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