Browsing by Author "Chen, T-W"

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    Observational constraints on the optical and near-infrared emission from the neutron star-black hole binary merger candidate S190814bv
    (2020) Ackley, K.; Amati, L.; Barbieri, C.; Bauer, F. E.; Benetti, S.; Bernardini, M. G.; Bhirombhakdi, K.; Botticella, M. T.; Branchesi, M.; Brocato, E.; Bruun, S. H.; Bulla, M.; Campana, S.; Cappellaro, E.; Castro-Tirado, A. J.; Chambers, K. C.; Chaty, S.; Chen, T-W; Ciolfi, R.; Coleiro, A.; Copperwheat, C. M.; Covino, S.; Cutter, R.; D'Ammando, F.; D'Avanzo, P.; De Cesare, G.; D'Elia, V; Della Valle, M.; Denneau, L.; De Pasquale, M.; Dhillon, V. S.; Dyer, M. J.; Elias-Rosa, N.; Evans, P. A.; Eyles-Ferris, R. A. J.; Fiore, A.; Fraser, M.; Fruchter, A. S.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Galbany, L.; Gall, C.; Galloway, D. K.; Getman, F., I; Ghirlanda, G.; Gillanders, J. H.; Gomboc, A.; Gompertz, B. P.; Gonzalez-Fernandez, C.; Gonzalez-Gaitan, S.; Grado, A.; Greco, G.; Gromadzki, M.; Groot, P. J.; Gutierrez, C. P.; Heikkila, T.; Heintz, K. E.; Hjorth, J.; Hu, Y-D; Huber, M. E.; Inserra, C.; Izzo, L.; Japelj, J.; Jerkstrand, A.; Jin, Z. P.; Jonker, P. G.; Kankare, E.; Kann, D. A.; Kennedy, M.; Kim, S.; Klose, S.; Kool, E. C.; Kotak, R.; Kuncarayakti, H.; Lamb, G. P.; Leloudas, G.; Levan, A. J.; Longo, F.; Lowe, T. B.; Lyman, J. D.; Magnier, E.; Maguire, K.; Maiorano, E.; Mandel, I; Mapelli, M.; Mattila, S.; McBrien, O. R.; Melandri, A.; Michalowski, M. J.; Milvang-Jensen, B.; Moran, S.; Nicastro, L.; Nicholl, M.; Guelbenzu, A. Nicuesa; Nuttal, L.; Oates, S. R.; O'Brien, P. T.; Onori, F.; Palazzi, E.; Patricelli, B.; Perego, A.; Torres, M. A. P.; Perley, D. A.; Pian, E.; Pignata, G.; Piranomonte, S.; Poshyachinda, S.; Possenti, A.; Pumo, M. L.; Quirola-Vasquez, J.; Ragosta, F.; Ramsay, G.; Rau, A.; Rest, A.; Reynolds, T. M.; Rosetti, S. S.; Rossi, A.; Rosswog, S.; Sabha, N. B.; Carracedo, A. Sagues; Salafia, O. S.; Salmon, L.; Salvaterra, R.; Savaglio, S.; Sbordone, L.; Schady, P.; Schipani, P.; Schultz, A. S. B.; Schweyer, T.; Smartt, S. J.; Smith, K. W.; Smith, M.; Sollerman, J.; Srivastav, S.; Stanway, E. R.; Starling, R. L. C.; Steeghs, D.; Stratta, G.; Stubbs, C. W.; Tanvir, N. R.; Testa, V; Thrane, E.; Tonry, J. L.; Turatto, M.; Ulaczyk, K.; van der Horst, A. J.; Vergani, S. D.; Walton, N. A.; Watson, D.; Wiersema, K.; Wiik, K.; Wyrzykowski, L.; Yang, S.; Yi, S-X; Young, D. R.
    Context. Gravitational wave (GW) astronomy has rapidly reached maturity, becoming a fundamental observing window for modern astrophysics. The coalescences of a few tens of black hole (BH) binaries have been detected, while the number of events possibly including a neutron star (NS) is still limited to a few. On 2019 August 14, the LIGO and Virgo interferometers detected a high-significance event labelled S190814bv. A preliminary analysis of the GW data suggests that the event was likely due to the merger of a compact binary system formed by a BH and a NS.Aims. In this paper, we present our extensive search campaign aimed at uncovering the potential optical and near infrared electromagnetic counterpart of S190814bv. We found no convincing electromagnetic counterpart in our data. We therefore use our non-detection to place limits on the properties of the putative outflows that could have been produced by the binary during and after the merger.Methods. Thanks to the three-detector observation of S190814bv, and given the characteristics of the signal, the LIGO and Virgo Collaborations delivered a relatively narrow localisation in low latency - a 50% (90%) credible area of 5 deg(2) (23 deg(2)) - despite the relatively large distance of 26752 Mpc. ElectromagNetic counterparts of GRAvitational wave sources at the VEry Large Telescope collaboration members carried out an intensive multi-epoch, multi-instrument observational campaign to identify the possible optical and near infrared counterpart of the event. In addition, the ATLAS, GOTO, GRAWITA-VST, Pan-STARRS, and VINROUGE projects also carried out a search on this event. In this paper, we describe the combined observational campaign of these groups.Results. Our observations allow us to place limits on the presence of any counterpart and discuss the implications for the kilonova (KN), which was possibly generated by this NS-BH merger, and for the strategy of future searches. The typical depth of our wide-field observations, which cover most of the projected sky localisation probability (up to 99.8%, depending on the night and filter considered), is r similar to 22 (resp. K similar to 21) in the optical (resp. near infrared). We reach deeper limits in a subset of our galaxy-targeted observations, which cover a total similar to 50% of the galaxy-mass-weighted localisation probability. Altogether, our observations allow us to exclude a KN with large ejecta mass M greater than or similar to 0.1 M-circle dot to a high (> 90%) confidence, and we can exclude much smaller masses in a sub-sample of our observations. This disfavours the tidal disruption of the neutron star during the merger.Conclusions. Despite the sensitive instruments involved in the campaign, given the distance of S190814bv, we could not reach sufficiently deep limits to constrain a KN comparable in luminosity to AT 2017gfo on a large fraction of the localisation probability. This suggests that future (likely common) events at a few hundred megaparsecs will be detected only by large facilities with both a high sensitivity and large field of view. Galaxy-targeted observations can reach the needed depth over a relevant portion of the localisation probability with a smaller investment of resources, but the number of galaxies to be targeted in order to get a fairly complete coverage is large, even in the case of a localisation as good as that of this event.
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    Photometric and spectroscopic evolution of the interacting transient AT 2016jbu(Gaia16cfr)
    (2022) Brennan, S. J.; Fraser, M.; Johansson, J.; Pastorello, A.; Kotak, R.; Stevance, H. F.; Chen, T-W; Eldridge, J. J.; Bose, S.; Brown, P. J.; Callis, E.; Cartier, R.; Dennefeld, M.; Dong, Subo; Duffy, P.; Elias-Rosa, N.; Hosseinzadeh, G.; Hsiao, E.; Kuncarayakti, H.; Martin-Carrillo, A.; Monard, B.; Nyholm, A.; Pignata, G.; Sand, D.; Shappee, B. J.; Smartt, S. J.; Tucker, B. E.; Wyrzykowski, L.; Abbot, H.; Benetti, S.; Bento, J.; Blondin, S.; Chen, Ping; Delgado, A.; Galbany, L.; Gromadzki, M.; Gutierrez, C. P.; Hanlon, L.; Harrison, D. L.; Hiramatsu, D.; Hodgkin, S. T.; Holoien, T. W-S; Howell, D. A.; Inserra, C.; Kankare, E.; Kozlowski, S.; Muller-Bravo, T. E.; Maguire, K.; McCully, C.; Meintjes, P.; Morrell, N.; Nicholl, M.; O'Neill, D.; Pietrukowicz, P.; Poleski, R.; Prieto, J. L.; Rau, A.; Reichart, D. E.; Schweyer, T.; Shahbandeh, M.; Skowron, J.; Sollerman, J.; Soszynski, I; Stritzinger, M. D.; Szymanski, M.; Tartaglia, L.; Udalski, A.; Ulaczyk, K.; Young, D. R.; van Leeuwen, M.; van Soelen, B.
    We present the results from a high-cadence, multiwavelength observation campaign of AT 2016jbu (aka Gaia16cfr), an interacting transient. This data set complements the current literature by adding higher cadence as well as extended coverage of the light-curve evolution and late-time spectroscopic evolution. Photometric coverage reveals that AT 2016jbu underwent significant photometric variability followed by two luminous events, the latter of which reached an absolute magnitude of M-V similar to-18.5 mag. This is similar to the transient SN 2009ip whose nature is still debated. Spectra are dominated by narrow emission lines and show a blue continuum during the peak of the second event. AT 2016jbu shows signatures of a complex, non-homogeneous circumstellar material (CSM). We see slowly evolving asymmetric hydrogen line profiles, with velocities of 500 km s(-)(1) seen in narrow emission features from a slow-moving CSM, and up to 10 000 km s(-1) seen in broad absorption from some high-velocity material. Late-time spectra (similar to+1 yr) show a lack of forbidden emission lines expected from a core-collapse supernova and are dominated by strong emission from H, He I, and Ca II. Strong asymmetric emission features, a bumpy light curve, and continually evolving spectra suggest an inhibit nebular phase. We compare the evolution of H alpha among SN 2009ip-like transients and find possible evidence for orientation angle effects. The light-curve evolution of AT 2016jbu suggests similar, but not identical, circumstellar environments to other SN 2009ip-like transients.
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    Progenitor, environment, and modelling of the interacting transient AT 2016jbu (Gaia16cfr)
    (2022) Brennan, S. J.; Fraser, M.; Johansson, J.; Pastorello, A.; Kotak, R.; Stevance, H. F.; Chen, T-W; Eldridge, J. J.; Bose, S.; Brown, P. J.; Callis, E.; Cartier, R.; Dennefeld, M.; Dong, Subo; Duffy, P.; Elias-Rosa, N.; Hosseinzadeh, G.; Hsiao, E.; Kuncarayakti, H.; Martin-Carrillo, A.; Monard, B.; Pignata, G.; Sand, D.; Shappee, B. J.; Smartt, S. J.; Tucker, B. E.; Wyrzykowski, L.; Abbot, H.; Benetti, S.; Bento, J.; Blondin, S.; Chen, Ping; Delgado, A.; Galbany, L.; Gromadzki, M.; Gutierrez, C. P.; Hanlon, L.; Harrison, D. L.; Hiramatsu, D.; Hodgkin, S. T.; Holoien, T. W-S; Howell, D. A.; Inserra, C.; Kankare, E.; Kozlowski, S.; Muller-Bravo, T. E.; Maguire, K.; McCully, C.; Meintjes, P.; Morrell, N.; Nicholl, M.; O'Neill, D.; Pietrukowicz, P.; Poleski, R.; Prieto, J. L.; Rau, A.; Reichart, D. E.; Schweyer, T.; Shahbandeh, M.; Skowron, J.; Sollerman, J.; Soszynski, I; Stritzinger, M. D.; Szymanski, M.; Tartaglia, L.; Udalski, A.; Ulaczyk, K.; Young, D. R.; van Leeuwen, M.; van Soelen, B.
    We present the bolometric light curve, identification and analysis of the progenitor candidate, and preliminary modelling of AT 2016jbu (Gaia16cfr). We find a progenitor consistent with a similar to 22-25 M-circle dot yellow hypergiant surrounded by a dusty circumstellar shell, in agreement with what has been previously reported. We see evidence for significant photometric variability in the progenitor, as well as strong H alpha emission consistent with pre-existing circumstellar material. The age of the environment, as well as the resolved stellar population surrounding AT 2016jbu, supports a progenitor age of >10 Myr, consistent with a progenitor mass of similar to 22 M-circle dot. A joint analysis of the velocity evolution of AT 2016jbu and the photospheric radius inferred from the bolometric light curve shows the transient is consistent with two successive outbursts/explosions. The first outburst ejected material with velocity similar to 650 km s(-1), while the second, more energetic event ejected material at similar to 4500 km s(-1). Whether the latter is the core collapse of the progenitor remains uncertain. We place a limit on the ejected Ni-56 mass of <0.016 M-circle dot. Using the Binary Population And Spectral Synthesis (BPASS) code, we explore a wide range of possible progenitor systems and find that the majority of these are in binaries, some of which are undergoing mass transfer or common-envelope evolution immediately prior to explosion. Finally, we use the SuperNova Explosion Code (SNEC) to demonstrate that the low-energy explosions within some of these binary systems, together with sufficient circumstellar material, can reproduce the overall morphology of the light curve of AT 2016jbu.
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    SN 2018bsz: A Type I superluminous supernova with aspherical circumstellar material
    (2022) Pursiainen, M.; Leloudas, G.; Paraskeva, E.; Cikota, A.; Anderson, J. P.; Angus, C. R.; Brennan, S.; Bulla, M.; Camacho-Iniguez, E.; Charalampopoulos, P.; Chen, T-W; Delgado Mancheno, M.; Fraser, M.; Frohmaier, C.; Galbany, L.; Gutierrez, C. P.; Gromadzki, M.; Inserra, C.; Maund, J.; Mueller-Bravo, T. E.; Munoz Torres, S.; Nicholl, M.; Onori, F.; Patat, F.; Pessi, P. J.; Roy, R.; Spyromilio, J.; Wiseman, P.; Young, D. R.
    We present a spectroscopic analysis of the most nearby Type I superluminous supernova (SLSN-I), SN 2018bsz. The photometric evolution of SN 2018bsz has several surprising features, including an unusual pre-peak plateau and evidence for rapid formation of dust greater than or similar to 200 d post-peak. We show here that the spectroscopic and polarimetric properties of SN 2018bsz are also unique. While its spectroscopic evolution closely resembles SLSNe-I, with early O II absorption and C II P Cygni profiles followed by Ca, Mg, Fe, and other O features, a multi-component H alpha profile appearing at similar to 30 d post-maximum is the most atypical. The H alpha is at first characterised by two emission components, one at similar to+3000 km s(-1) and a second at similar to - 7500 km s(-1), with a third, near-zero-velocity component appearing after a delay. The blue and central components can be described by Gaussian profiles of intermediate width (FWHM similar to 2000-6000 km s(-1)), but the red component is significantly broader (FWHM greater than or similar to 10000 km s(-1)) and Lorentzian. The blue H alpha component evolves towards a lower-velocity offset before abruptly fading at similar to + 100 d post-maximum brightness, concurrently with a light curve break. Multi-component profiles are observed in other hydrogen lines, including Pa beta, and in lines of Ca II and He I. Spectropolarimetry obtained before (10.2 d) and after (38.4 d) the appearance of the H lines shows a large shift on the Stokes Q - U plane consistent with SN 2018bsz undergoing radical changes in its projected geometry. Assuming the supernova is almost unpolarised at 10.2 d, the continuum polarisation at 38.4 d reaches P similar to 1.8%, implying an aspherical configuration. We propose that the observed evolution of SN 2018bsz can be explained by highly aspherical, possibly disk-like, circumstellar material (CSM) with several emitting regions. After the supernova explosion, the CSM is quickly overtaken by the ejecta, but as the photosphere starts to recede, the different CSM regions re-emerge, producing the peculiar line profiles. Based on the first appearance of H alpha, we can constrain the distance of the CSM to be less than similar to 6.5 x 10(15) cm (430 AU), or even lower (less than or similar to 87 AU) if the pre-peak plateau is related to an eruption that created the CSM. The presence of CSM has been inferred previously for other SLSNe-I, both directly and indirectly. However, it is not clear whether the rare properties of SN 2018bsz can be generalised for SLSNe-I, for example in the context of pulsational pair instability, or whether they are the result of an uncommon evolutionary path, possibly involving a binary companion.