Browsing by Author "Chambers, K."

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    LSQ14bdq: A TYPE Ic SUPER-LUMINOUS SUPERNOVA WITH A DOUBLE-PEAKED LIGHT CURVE
    (2015) Nicholl, M.; Smartt, S. J.; Jerkstrand, A.; Sim, S. A.; Inserra, C.; Anderson, J. P.; Baltay, C.; Benetti, S.; Chambers, K.; Chen, T. -W.; Elias-Rosa, N.; Feindt, U.; Flewelling, H. A.; Fraser, M.; Gal-Yam, A.; Galbany, L.; Huber, M. E.; Kangas, T.; Kankare, E.; Kotak, R.; Kruehler, T.; Maguire, K.; McKinnon, R.; Rabinowitz, D.; Rostami, S.; Schulze, S.; Smith, K. W.; Sullivan, M.; Tonry, J. L.; Valenti, S.; Young, D. R.
    We present data for LSQ14bdq, a hydrogen-poor super-luminous supernova (SLSN) discovered by the La Silla QUEST survey and classified by the Public ESO Spectroscopic Survey of Transient Objects. The spectrum and light curve are very similar to slow-declining SLSNe such as PTF12dam. However, detections within similar to 1 day after explosion show a bright and relatively fast initial peak, lasting for similar to 15 days, prior to the usual slow rise to maximum light. The broader, main peak can be fit with either central engine or circumstellar interaction models. We discuss the implications of the precursor peak in the context of these models. It is too bright and narrow to be explained as a normal Ni-56-powered SN, and we suggest that interaction models may struggle to fit the two peaks simultaneously. We propose that the initial peak may arise from the post-shock cooling of extended stellar material, and reheating by a central engine drives the second peak. In this picture, we show that an explosion energy of similar to 2 X 10(52) erg and a progenitor radius of a few hundred solar radii would be required to power the early emission. The competing engine models involve rapidly spinning magnetars (neutron stars) or fallback onto a central black hole. The prompt energy required may favor the black hole scenario. The bright initial peak may be difficult to reconcile with a compact Wolf-Rayet star as a progenitor since the inferred energies and ejected masses become unphysical.
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    Supernova 2011ke
    (2013) Drake, A. J.; Djorgovski, S. G.; Mahabal, A. A.; Graham, M. J.; Williams, R.; Donalek, C.; Prieto, J.; Catelan, Marcio; Larson, S. M.; Christensen, E.; Inserra, C.; Smartt, S. J.; Fraser, M.; Young, D.; Smith, K.; Wright, D.; Kotak, R.; McCrum, M.; Magill, L.; Chen, T. -W.; Pastorello, A.; Benetti, S.; Valenti, S.; Bresolin, F.; Kudritzki, R.; Tonry, J.; Magnier, E.; Huber, M.; Chambers, K.; Kaiser, N.; Morgan, J.; Burgett, W.; Heasley, J.; Sweeney, W.; Waters, C.; Flewelling, H.; Stubbs, C.; Price, P. A.; Sollerman, J.; Taddia, F.; Ergon, M.; Leloudas, G.; Taubenberger, S.
    Report the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey discovery of an apparent supernova in V-band Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) images: SN 2011 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. 2011ke Apr. 25.4 13 50 57.78 +26 16 42.4 17.6 Nothing is visible at this position on a CSS image from 2011 Mar. 16 UT (limiting mag 19.5). C. Inserra, S. J. Smartt, M. Fraser, D. Young, K. Smith, D. Wright, R. Kotak, M. McCrum, L. Magill, and T.-W. Chen, Queen's University, Belfast; A. Pastorello and S. Benetti, Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica; S. Valenti, Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope and University of California at Santa Barbara; F. Bresolin, R. Kudritzki, J. Tonry, E. Magnier, M. Huber, K. Chambers, N. Kaiser, J. Morgan, W. Burgett, J. Heasley, W. Sweeney, C. Waters, and H. Flewelling, University of Hawaii; C. Stubbs, Harvard University; P. A. Price, Princeton University; J. Sollerman, F. Taddia, and M. Ergon, Oscar Klein Centre, Stockholm; G. Leloudas, Dark Cosmology Centre, Copenhagen; and S. Taubenberger, Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astrophysik, Garching, report that they obtained a spectrogram of 2011ke on 2011 May 21 UT with the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (+ DOLORES). The spectrum shows the clear presence of emission from the host galaxy of [O II], [O III], H-beta, and H-alpha. (The host galaxy is also clearly seen in images obtained via the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.) A good match is obtained with the spectrum of SN 2010gx (cf. CBET 2413), a super-luminous type-Ic supernova, at a week after maximum light....