Energetic eruptions leading to a peculiar hydrogen-rich explosion of a massive star

Nature Nature Publishing Group 551:7679 (2017) 210-213

Authors:

I Arcavi, DA Howell, D Kasen, L Bildsten, G Hosseinzadeh, C McCully, ZC Wong, A Gal-Yam, J Sollerman, F Taddia, G Leloudas, C Fremling, PE Nugent, A Horesh, K Mooley, C Rumsey, SB Cenko, ML Graham, DA Perley, E Nakar, NJ Shaviv, O Bromberg, KJ Shen, EO Ofek, Y Cao, X Wang, F Huang, L Rui, T Zhang, W Li, Z Li, J Zhang, S Valenti, D Guevel, B Shappee, CS Kochanek, TW-S Holoien, AV Filippenko, Robert Fender, A Nyholm, O Yaron, MM Kasliwal, M Sullivan, N Blagorodnova, RS Walters, R Lunnan, D Khazov, I Andreoni, RR Laher

Abstract:

Every supernova so far observed has been considered to be the terminal explosion of a star. Moreover, all supernovae with absorption lines in their spectra show those lines decreasing in velocity over time, as the ejecta expand and thin, revealing slower-moving material that was previously hidden. In addition, every supernova that exhibits the absorption lines of hydrogen has one main light-curve peak, or a plateau in luminosity, lasting approximately 100 days before declining. Here we report observations of iPTF14hls, an event that has spectra identical to a hydrogen-rich core-collapse supernova, but characteristics that differ extensively from those of known supernovae. The light curve has at least five peaks and remains bright for more than 600 days; the absorption lines show little to no decrease in velocity; and the radius of the line-forming region is more than an order of magnitude bigger than the radius of the photosphere derived from the continuum emission. These characteristics are consistent with a shell of several tens of solar masses ejected by the progenitor star at supernova-level energies a few hundred days before a terminal explosion. Another possible eruption was recorded at the same position in 1954. Multiple energetic pre-supernova eruptions are expected to occur in stars of 95 to 130 solar masses, which experience the pulsational pair instability. That model, however, does not account for the continued presence of hydrogen, or the energetics observed here. Another mechanism for the violent ejection of mass in massive stars may be required.

Energetic eruptions leading to a peculiar hydrogen-rich explosion of a massive star

(2017)

Authors:

Iair Arcavi, D Andrew Howell, Daniel Kasen, Lars Bildsten, Griffin Hosseinzadeh, Curtis McCully, Zheng Chuen Wong, Sarah Rebekah Katz, Avishay Gal-Yam, Jesper Sollerman, Francesco Taddia, Giorgos Leloudas, Christoffer Fremling, Peter E Nugent, Assaf Horesh, Kunal Mooley, Clare Rumsey, S Bradley Cenko, Melissa L Graham, Daniel A Perley, Ehud Nakar, Nir J Shaviv, Omer Bromberg, Ken J Shen, Eran O Ofek, Yi Cao, Xiaofeng Wang, Fang Huang, Liming Rui, Tianmeng Zhang, Wenxiong Li, Zhitong Li, Jujia Zhang, Stefano Valenti, David Guevel, Benjamin Shappee, Christopher S Kochanek, Thomas W-S Holoien, Alexei V Filippenko, Rob Fender, Anders Nyholm, Ofer Yaron, Mansi M Kasliwal, Mark Sullivan, Nadja Blagorodnova, Richard S Walters, Ragnhild Lunnan, Danny Khazov, Igor Andreoni, Russ R Laher, Nick Konidaris, Przemek Wozniak, Brian Bue

The clustering and bias of radio-selected AGN and star-forming galaxies in the COSMOS field

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Oxford University Press 474:3 (2017) 4133-4150

Authors:

Catherine L Hale, Matthew J Jarvis, I Delvecchio, Peter W Hatfield, M Novak, V Smolcic, G Zamorani

Abstract:

Dark matter haloes in which galaxies reside are likely to have a significant impact on their evolution. We investigate the link between dark matter haloes and their constituent galaxies by measuring the angular two-point correlation function of radio sources, using recently released 3 GHz imaging over $\sim 2 \ \mathrm{deg}^2$ of the COSMOS field. We split the radio source population into Star Forming Galaxies (SFGs) and Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), and further separate the AGN into radiatively efficient and inefficient accreters. Restricting our analysis to $z<1$, we find SFGs have a bias, $b = 1.5 ^{+0.1}_{-0.2}$, at a median redshift of $z=0.62$. On the other hand, AGN are significantly more strongly clustered with $b = 2.1\pm 0.2$ at a median redshift of 0.7. This supports the idea that AGN are hosted by more massive haloes than SFGs. We also find low-accretion rate AGN are more clustered ($b = 2.9 \pm 0.3$) than high-accretion rate AGN ($b = 1.8^{+0.4}_{-0.5}$) at the same redshift ($z \sim 0.7$), suggesting that low-accretion rate AGN reside in higher mass haloes. This supports previous evidence that the relatively hot gas that inhabits the most massive haloes is unable to be easily accreted by the central AGN, causing them to be inefficient. We also find evidence that low-accretion rate AGN appear to reside in halo masses of $M_{h} \sim 3-4 \times 10^{13}h^{-1}$M$_{\odot}$ at all redshifts. On the other hand, the efficient accreters reside in haloes of $M_{h} \sim 1-2 \times 10^{13}h^{-1}$M$_{\odot}$ at low redshift but can reside in relatively lower mass haloes at higher redshifts. This could be due to the increased prevalence of cold gas in lower mass haloes at $z \ge 1$ compared to $z<1$.

Paving the way to simultaneous multi-wavelength astronomy

New Astronomy Reviews Elsevier 79 (2017) 26-48

Authors:

MJ Middleton, P Casella, P Gandhi, E Bozzo, G Anderson, N Degenaar, I Donnarumma, G Israel, C Knigge, A Lohfink, S Markoff, T Marsh, N Rea, S Tingay, K Wiersema, D Altamirano, D Bhattacharya, WN Brandt, S Carey, P Charles, M Díaz Trigo, C Done, M Kotze, S Eikenberry, R Fender, P Ferruit, F Fürst, J Greiner, A Ingram, L Heil, P Jonker, S Komossa, B Leibundgut, T Maccarone, J Malzac, V McBride, J Miller-Jones, M Page, EM Rossi, DM Russell, T Shahbaz, GR Sivakoff, M Tanaka, DJ Thompson, M Uemura, P Uttley, G van Moorsel, M van Doesburgh, B Warner, B Wilkes, J Wilms, P Woudt

Radio Transients in the Era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union Cambridge University Press (CUP) 14:S339 (2017) 207-214

Authors:

GE Anderson, BW Stappers, I Andreoni, M Caleb, D Coppejans, S Corbel, RP Fender, M Giroletti, ML Graham, KV Sokolovsky, PA Woudt