Browsing by Author "Sullivan, M."

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    450 d of Type II SN 2013ej in optical and near-infrared
    (OXFORD UNIV PRESS, 2016) Yuan, Fang; Jerkstrand, A.; Valenti, S.; Sollerman, J.; Seitenzahl, I. R.; Pastorello, A.; Schulze, S.; Chen, T. W.; Childress, M. J.; Fraser, M.; Fremling, C.; Kotak, R.; Ruiter, A. J.; Schmidt, B. P.; Smartt, S. J.; Taddia, F.; Terreran, G.; Tucker, B. E.; Barbarino, C.; Benetti, S.; Elias Rosa, N.; Gal Yam, A.; Howell, D. A.; Inserra, C.; Kankare, E.; Lee, M. Y.; Li, K. L.; Maguire, K.; Margheim, S.; Mehner, A.; Ochner, P.; Sullivan, M.; Tomasella, L.; Young, D. R.
    We present optical and near-infrared photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2013ej, in galaxy M74, from 1 to 450 d after the explosion. SN 2013ej is a hydrogen-rich supernova, classified as a Type IIL due to its relatively fast decline following the initial peak. It has a relatively high peak luminosity (absolute magnitude M-V =-17.6) but a small 56Ni production of similar to 0.023 M-circle dot. Its photospheric evolution is similar to other Type II SNe, with shallow absorption in the H a profile typical for a Type IIL. During transition to the radioactive decay tail at similar to 100 d, we find the SN to grow bluer in B - V colour, in contrast to some other Type II supernovae. At late times, the bolometric light curve declined faster than expected from Co-56 decay and we observed unusually broad and asymmetric nebular emission lines. Based on comparison of nebular emission lines most sensitive to the progenitor core mass, we find our observations are best matched to synthesized spectral models with a M-ZAMS = 12-15 M-circle dot progenitor. The derived mass range is similar to but not higher than the mass estimated for Type IIP progenitors. This is against the idea that Type IIL are from more massive stars. Observations are consistent with the SN having a progenitor with a relatively low-mass envelope.
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    Early observations of the nearby Type Ia supernova SN 2015F
    (2017) Cartier, R.; Sullivan, M.; Firth, R. E.; Pignata, G.; Mazzali, P.; Maguire, K.; Childress, M. J.; Arcavi, I.; Ashall, C.; Bassett, B.; Crawford, S. M.; Frohmaier, C.; Galbany, L.; Gal-Yam, A.; Hosseinzadeh, G.; Howell, D. A.; Inserra, C.; Johansson, J.; Kasai, E. K.; McCully, C.; Prajs, S.; Prentice, S.; Schulze, S.; Smartt, S. J.; Smith, K. W.; Smith, M.; Valenti, S.; Young, D. R.
    We present photometry and time series spectroscopy of the nearby Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) SN 2015F over -16 d to +80 d relative to maximum light, obtained as part of the Public ESO Spectroscopic Survey of Transient Objects. SN 2015F is a slightly sub-luminous SN Ia with a decline rate of Delta m15(B) = 1.35 +/- 0.03 mag, placing it in the region between normal and SN 1991bg-like events. Our densely sampled photometric data place tight constraints on the epoch of first light and form of the early-time light curve. The spectra exhibit photospheric C II lambda 6580 absorption until -4 days, and high-velocity Ca II is particularly strong at <-10 d at expansion velocities of 23 000 km s(-1). At early times, our spectral modelling with SYN++ shows strong evidence for iron-peak elements ( Fe (II), Cr (II), Ti (II), and V-II) expanding at velocities > 14 000 km s(-1), suggesting mixing in the outermost layers of the SN ejecta. Although unusual in SN Ia spectra, including VII in the modelling significantly improves the spectral fits. Intriguingly, we detect an absorption feature at similar to 6800 angstrom that persists until maximum light. Our favoured explanation for this line is photospheric Al II, which has never been claimed before in SNe Ia, although detached high-velocity CII material could also be responsible. In both cases, the absorbing material seems to be confined to a relatively narrow region in velocity space. The nucleosynthesis of detectable amounts of Al II would argue against a low-metallicity white dwarf progenitor. We also show that this 6800 feature is weakly present in other normal SN Ia events and common in the SN 1991bg-like sub-class.
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    First Cosmology Results using Supernovae Ia from the Dark Energy Survey : Survey Overview, Performance, and Supernova Spectroscopy
    (2020) Smith, M.; D'Andrea, C. B.; Sullivan, M.; Moller, A.; Nichol, R. C.; Thomas, R. C.; Kim, A. G.; Sako, M.; Castander, F. J.; Clocchiatti, Alejandro; Filippenko, A. V.; Foley, R. J.; Galbany, L.; González Gaitan, S.; Kasai, E.; Kirshner, R. P.; Lidman, C.; Scolnic, D.; Brout, D.; Davis, T. M.; Gupta, R. R.; Hinton, S. R.; Kessler, R.; Lasker, J.; Macaulay, E.; Wolf, R. C.; Zhang, B.; Asorey, J.; Avelino, A.; Bassett, B. A.; Calcino, J.; Carollo, D.; Casas, R.; Challis, P.; Childress, M.; Crawford, S.; Frohmaier, C.; Glazebrook, K.; Goldstein, D. A.; Graham, M. L.; Hoormann, J. K.; Kuehn, K.; Lewis, G. F.; Mandel, K. S.; Morganson, E.; Muthukrishna, D.; Nugent, P.; Pan, Y. C.; Pursiainen, M.; Sharp, R.
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    First cosmology results using Type Ia supernova from the Dark Energy Survey: simulations to correct supernova distance biases
    (2019) Kessler, R.; Brout, D.; D'Andrea, C. B.; Davis, T. M.; Hinton, S. R.; Kim, A. G.; Lasker, J.; Lidman, C.; Macaulay, E.; Moeller, A.; Sako, M.; Scolnic, D.; Smith, M.; Sullivan, M.; Zhang, B.; Andersen, P.; Asorey, J.; Avelino, A.; Calcino, J.; Carollo, D.; Challis, P.; Childress, M.; Clocchiatti, A.; Crawford, S.; Filippenko, A. V.; Foley, R. J.; Glazebrook, K.; Hoormann, J. K.; Kasai, E.; Kirshner, R. P.; Lewis, G. F.; Mandel, K. S.; March, M.; Morganson, E.; Muthukrishna, D.; Nugent, P.; Pan, Y. -C.; Sommer, N. E.; Swann, E.; Thomas, R. C.; Tucker, B. E.; Uddin, S. A.; Abbott, T. M. C.; Allam, S.; Annis, J.; Avila, S.; Banerji, M.; Bechtol, K.; Bertin, E.; Brooks, D.; Buckley-Geer, E.; Burke, D. L.; Carnero Rosell, A.; Kind, M. Carrasco; Carretero, J.; Castander, F. J.; Crocce, M.; da Costa, L. N.; Davis, C.; De Vicente, J.; Desai, S.; Diehl, H. T.; Doel, P.; Eifler, T. F.; Flaugher, B.; Fosalba, P.; Frieman, J.; Garcia-Bellido, J.; Gaztanaga, E.; Gerdes, D. W.; Gruen, D.; Gruendl, R. A.; Gutierrez, G.; Hartley, W. G.; Hollowood, D. L.; Honscheid, K.; James, D. J.; Johnson, M. W. G.; Johnson, M. D.; Krause, E.; Kuehn, K.; Kuropatkin, N.; Lahav, O.; Li, T. S.; Lima, M.; Marshall, J. L.; Martini, P.; Menanteau, F.; Miller, C. J.; Miquel, R.; Nord, B.; Plazas, A. A.; Roodman, A.; Sanchez, E.; Scarpine, V.; Schindler, R.; Schubnell, M.; Serrano, S.; Sevilla-Noarbe, I.; Soares-Santos, M.; Sobreira, F.; Suchyta, E.; Tarle, G.; Thomas, D.; Walker, A. R.; Zhang, Y.
    We describe catalogue-level simulations of Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) light curves in the Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program (DES-SN) and in low-redshift samples from the Center for Astrophysics (CfA) and the Carnegie Supernova Project (CSP). These simulations are used to model biases from selection effects and light-curve analysis and to determine bias corrections for SN Ia distance moduli that are used to measure cosmological parameters. To generate realistic light curves, the simulation uses a detailed SN Ia model, incorporates information from observations (point spread function, sky noise, zero-point), and uses summary information (e.g. detection efficiency versus signal-to-noise ratio) based on 10 000 fake SN light curves whose fluxes were overlaid on images and processed with our analysis pipelines. The quality of the simulation is illustrated by predicting distributions observed in the data. Averaging within redshift bins, we find distance modulus biases up to 0.05 mag over the redshift ranges of the low-z and DES-SN samples. For individual events, particularly those with extreme red or blue colour, distance biases can reach 0.4 mag. Therefore, accurately determining bias corrections is critical for precision measurements of cosmological parameters. Files used to make these corrections are available at https://des.ncsa.illinois.edu/releases/sn.
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    Interacting supernovae and supernova impostors. LSQ13zm : an outburst heralds the death of a massive star
    (2016) Tartaglia, L.; Pastorello, A.; Sullivan, M.; Baltay, C.; Rabinowitz, D.; Nugent, P.; Drake, A. J.; Djorgovski, S. G.; Gal-Yam, A.; Bauer, Franz Erik; Barsukova, E. A.; Goranskij, V. P.; Valeev, A. F.; Fatkhullin, T.; Schulze, S.; Mehner, A.; Fabrika, S.; Taubenberger, S.; Nordin, J.; Valenti, S.
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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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    On the diversity of superluminous supernovae : ejected mass as the dominant factor
    (2015) Nicholl, M.; Smartt, S.; Jerkstrand, A.; Inserra, C.; Sim, S.; Chen, T.; Benetti, S.; Fraser, M.; Bauer, Franz Erik; Schulze, S; Maguire, K.; Smith, K.; Sullivan, M.; Valenti, S.; Young, D.; Gal-Yam, A.; Kankare, E.
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    PESSTO : survey description and products from the first data release by the Public ESO Spectroscopic Survey of Transient Objects
    (2015) Smartt, S. J.; Valenti, S.; Fraser, M.; Inserra, C.; Young, D. R.; Sullivan, M.; Bauer, Franz Erik; Clocchiatti, Alejandro; Romero Cañizales, Cristina; Schulze, S.; Pastorello, A.; Benetti, S.; Gal-Yam, A.; Knapic, C.; Molinaro, M.; Smareglia, R.; Smith, K. W.; Taubenberger, S.; Yaron, O.; Anderson, J. P.; Ashall, C.; Balland, C.; Baltay, C.; Barbarino, C.; Baumont, S.; Bersier, D.; Blagorodnova, N.; Bongard, S.; Botticella, M. T.; Bufano, F.; Bulla, M.; Cappellaro, E.; Campbell, H.; Cellier-Holzem, F.; Chen, T. W.; Childress, M. J.; Contreras, C.; Dall’Ora, M.; Danziger, J.; de Jaeger, T.; De Cia, A.; Della Valle, M.; Dennefeld, M.; Elias Rosa, N.; Elman, N.; Feindt, U.; Fleury, M.; Gall, E.; González Gaitan, S.; Galbany, L.; Morales Garoffolo, A.; Greggio, L.; Guillou, L. L.; Hachinger, S.; Hadjiyska, E.; Hage, P. E.; Hillebrandt, W.; Hodgkin, S.; Hsiao, E. Y.; James, P. A.; Jerkstrand, A.; Kangas, T.; Kankare, E.; Kotak, R.; Kromer, M.; Kuncarayakti, H.; Leloudas, G.; Lundqvist, P.; Lyman, J. D.; Hook, I. M.; Maguire, K.; Manulis, I.; Margheim, S. J.; Mattila, S.; Maund, J. R.; Mazzali, P. A.; McCrum, M.; McKinnon, R.; Moreno Raya, M. E.; Nicholl, M.; Nugent, P.; Pain, R.; Pignata, Giuliano; Phillips, M. M.; Polshaw, J.; Pumo, M. L.; Rabinowitz, D.; Reilly, E.; Scalzo, R.; Schmidt, B.; Sim, S.; Sollerman, J.; Taddia, F.; Tartaglia, L.; Terreran, G.; Tomasella, L.; Turatto, M.; Walker, E.; Walton, N. A.; Wyrzykowski, L.; Yuan, F.; Zampieri, L.
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    SOAR/Goodman Spectroscopic Assessment of Candidate Counterparts of the LIGO/Virgo Event GW190814*
    (2022) Tucker, D. L.; Wiesner, M. P.; Allam, S. S.; Soares-Santos, M.; Bom, C. R.; Butner, M.; Garcia, A.; Morgan, R.; Olivares E, F.; Palmese, A.; Santana-Silva, L.; Shrivastava, A.; Annis, J.; Garcia-Bellido, J.; Gill, M. S. S.; Herner, K.; Kilpatrick, C. D.; Makler, M.; Sherman, N.; Amara, A.; Lin, H.; Smith, M.; Swann, E.; Arcavi, I; Bachmann, T. G.; Bechtol, K.; Berlfein, F.; Briceno, C.; Brout, D.; Butler, R. E.; Cartier, R.; Casares, J.; Chen, H-Y; Conselice, C.; Contreras, C.; Cook, E.; Cooke, J.; Dage, K.; D'Andrea, C.; Davis, T. M.; de Carvalho, R.; Diehl, H. T.; Dietrich, J. P.; Doctor, Z.; Drlica-Wagner, A.; Drout, M.; Farr, B.; Finley, D. A.; Fishbach, M.; Foley, R. J.; Forster-Buron, F.; Fosalba, P.; Friedel, D.; Frieman, J.; Frohmaier, C.; Gruendl, R. A.; Hartley, W. G.; Hiramatsu, D.; Holz, D. E.; Howell, D. A.; Kawash, A.; Kessler, R.; Kuropatkin, N.; Lahav, O.; Lundgren, A.; Lundquist, M.; Malik, U.; Mann, A. W.; Marriner, J.; Marshall, J. L.; Martinez-Vazquez, C. E.; McCully, C.; Menanteau, F.; Meza, N.; Narayan, G.; Neilsen, E.; Nicolaou, C.; Nichol, R.; Paz-Chinchon, F.; Pereira, M. E. S.; Pineda, J.; Points, S.; Quirola-Vasquez, J.; Rembold, S.; Rest, A.; Rodriguez, O.; Romer, A. K.; Sako, M.; Salim, S.; Scolnic, D.; Smith, J. A.; Strader, J.; Sullivan, M.; Swanson, M. E. C.; Thomas, D.; Valenti, S.; Varga, T. N.; Walker, A. R.; Weller, J.; Wood, M. L.; Yanny, B.; Zenteno, A.; Aguena, M.; Andrade-Oliveira, F.; Bertin, E.; Brooks, D.; Burke, D. L.; Rosell, A. Carnero; Kind, M. Carrasco; Carretero, J.; Costanzi, M.; da Costa, L. N.; De Vicente, J.; Desai, S.; Everett, S.; Ferrero, I; Flaugher, B.; Gaztanaga, E.; Gerdes, D. W.; Gruen, D.; Gschwend, J.; Gutierrez, G.; Hinton, S. R.; Hollowood, D. L.; Honscheid, K.; James, D. J.; Kuehn, K.; Lima, M.; Maia, M. A. G.; Miquel, R.; Ogando, R. L. C.; Pieres, A.; Malagon, A. A. Plazas; Rodriguez-Monroy, M.; Sanchez, E.; Scarpine, V; Schubnell, M.; Serrano, S.; Sevilla-Noarbe, I; Suchyta, E.; Tarle, G.; To, C.; Zhang, Y.
    On 2019 August 14 at 21:10:39 UTC, the LIGO/Virgo Collaboration (LVC) detected a possible neutron star-black hole merger (NSBH), the first ever identified. An extensive search for an optical counterpart of this event, designated GW190814, was undertaken using the Dark Energy Camera on the 4 m Victor M. Blanco Telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. Target of Opportunity interrupts were issued on eight separate nights to observe 11 candidates using the 4.1 m Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) telescope's Goodman High Throughput Spectrograph in order to assess whether any of these transients was likely to be an optical counterpart of the possible NSBH merger. Here, we describe the process of observing with SOAR, the analysis of our spectra, our spectroscopic typing methodology, and our resultant conclusion that none of the candidates corresponded to the gravitational wave merger event but were all instead other transients. Finally, we describe the lessons learned from this effort. Application of these lessons will be critical for a successful community spectroscopic follow-up program for LVC observing run 4 (O4) and beyond.