skip to main content


Search for: All records

Creators/Authors contains: "Hamuy, M"

Note: When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a charge during the embargo (administrative interval).
What is a DOI Number?

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.

  1. ABSTRACT

    We present deep optical and near-infrared photometry of UID 30901, a superluminous supernova (SLSN) discovered during the UltraVISTA survey. The observations were obtained with VIRCAM (YJHKs) mounted on the VISTA telescope, DECam (griz) on the Blanco telescope, and SUBARU Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC; grizy). These multiband observations comprise +700 d making UID 30901 one of the best photometrically followed SLSNe to date. The host galaxy of UID 30901 is detected in a deep HST F814W image with an AB magnitude of 27.3 ± 0.2. While no spectra exist for the SN or its host galaxy, we perform our analysis assuming z = 0.37, based on the photometric redshift of a possible host galaxy found at a projected distance of 7 kpc. Fitting a blackbody to the observations, the radius, temperature, and bolometric light curve are computed. We find a maximum bolometric luminosity of 5.4 ± 0.34 × 1043 erg s−1. A flattening in the light curve beyond 600 d is observed and several possible causes are discussed. We find the observations to clearly favour an SLSN type I, and plausible power sources such as the radioactive decay of 56Ni and the spin-down of a magnetar are compared to the data. We find that the magnetar model yields a good fit to the observations with the following parameters: a magnetic field B = 1.4 ± 0.3 × 1014 G, spin period of P = 6.0 ± 0.1 ms, and ejecta mass $M_{\mathrm{ ej}} = 11.9^{+4.8}_{-6.4} \,\mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$.

     
    more » « less
  2. Type II supernovae (SNe II) show great photometric and spectroscopic diversity which is attributed to the varied physical characteristics of their progenitor and explosion properties. In this study, the third of a series of papers where we analyse a large sample of SNe II observed by the Carnegie Supernova Project-I, we present correlations between their observed and physical properties. Our analysis shows that explosion energy is the physical property that correlates with the highest number of parameters. We recover previously suggested relationships between the hydrogen-rich envelope mass and the plateau duration, and find that more luminous SNe II with higher expansion velocities, faster declining light curves, and higher 56 Ni masses are consistent with higher energy explosions. In addition, faster declining SNe II (usually called SNe IIL) are also compatible with more concentrated 56 Ni in the inner regions of the ejecta. Positive trends are found between the initial mass, explosion energy, and 56 Ni mass. While the explosion energy spans the full range explored with our models, the initial mass generally arises from a relatively narrow range. Observable properties were measured from our grid of bolometric LC and photospheric velocity models to determine the effect of each physical parameter on the observed SN II diversity. We argue that explosion energy is the physical parameter causing the greatest impact on SN II diversity, that is, assuming the non-rotating solar-metallicity single-star evolution as in the models used in this study. The inclusion of pre-SN models assuming higher mass loss produces a significant increase in the strength of some correlations, particularly those between the progenitor hydrogen-rich envelope mass and the plateau and optically thick phase durations. These differences clearly show the impact of having different treatments of stellar evolution, implying that changes in the assumption of standard single-star evolution are necessary for a complete understanding of SN II diversity. 
    more » « less
  3. ABSTRACT

    We present detailed investigation of a specific i-band light-curve feature in Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) using the rapid cadence and high signal-to-noise ratio light curves obtained by the Carnegie Supernova Project. The feature is present in most SNe Ia and emerges a few days after the i-band maximum. It is an abrupt change in curvature in the light curve over a few days and appears as a flattening in mild cases and a strong downward concave shape, or a ‘kink’, in the most extreme cases. We computed the second derivatives of Gaussian Process interpolations to study 54 rapid-cadence light curves. From the second derivatives we measure: (1) the timing of the feature in days relative to i-band maximum; tdm2(i) and (2) the strength and direction of the concavity in mag d−2; dm2(i). 76 per cent of the SNe Ia show a negative dm2(i), representing a downward concavity – either a mild flattening or a strong ‘kink’. The tdm2(i) parameter is shown to correlate with the colour-stretch parameter sBV, a SN Ia primary parameter. The dm2(i) parameter shows no correlation with sBV and therefore provides independent information. It is also largely independent of the spectroscopic and environmental properties. Dividing the sample based on the strength of the light-curve feature as measured by dm2(i), SNe Ia with strong features have a Hubble diagram dispersion of 0.107 mag, 0.075 mag smaller than the group with weak features. Although larger samples should be obtained to test this result, it potentially offers a new method for improving SN Ia distance determinations without shifting to more costly near-infrared or spectroscopic observations.

     
    more » « less
  4. Abstract We present a multiwavelength photometric and spectroscopic analysis of 13 super-Chandrasekhar-mass/2003fg-like Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). Nine of these objects were observed by the Carnegie Supernova Project. The 2003fg-like SNe have slowly declining light curves (Δ m 15 ( B ) < 1.3 mag), and peak absolute B -band magnitudes of −19 < M B < −21 mag. Many of the 2003fg-like SNe are located in the same part of the luminosity–width relation as normal SNe Ia. In the optical B and V bands, the 2003fg-like SNe look like normal SNe Ia, but at redder wavelengths they diverge. Unlike other luminous SNe Ia, the 2003fg-like SNe generally have only one i -band maximum, which peaks after the epoch of the B -band maximum, while their near-IR (NIR) light-curve rise times can be ≳40 days longer than those of normal SNe Ia. They are also at least 1 mag brighter in the NIR bands than normal SNe Ia, peaking above M H = −19 mag, and generally have negative Hubble residuals, which may be the cause of some systematics in dark-energy experiments. Spectroscopically, the 2003fg-like SNe exhibit peculiarities such as unburnt carbon well past maximum light, a large spread (8000–12,000 km s −1 ) in Si ii λ 6355 velocities at maximum light with no rapid early velocity decline, and no clear H -band break at +10 days. We find that SNe with a larger pseudo-equivalent width of C ii at maximum light have lower Si ii λ 6355 velocities and more slowly declining light curves. There are also multiple factors that contribute to the peak luminosity of 2003fg-like SNe. The explosion of a C–O degenerate core inside a carbon-rich envelope is consistent with these observations. Such a configuration may come from the core-degenerate scenario. 
    more » « less
  5. null (Ed.)
  6. ABSTRACT Despite vast improvements in the measurement of the cosmological parameters, the nature of dark energy and an accurate value of the Hubble constant (H0) in the Hubble–Lemaître law remain unknown. To break the current impasse, it is necessary to develop as many independent techniques as possible, such as the use of Type II supernovae (SNe II). The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the utility of SNe II for deriving accurate extragalactic distances, which will be an asset for the next generation of telescopes where more-distant SNe II will be discovered. More specifically, we present a sample from the Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program (DES-SN) consisting of 15 SNe II with photometric and spectroscopic information spanning a redshift range up to 0.35. Combining our DES SNe with publicly available samples, and using the standard candle method (SCM), we construct the largest available Hubble diagram with SNe II in the Hubble flow (70 SNe II) and find an observed dispersion of 0.27 mag. We demonstrate that adding a colour term to the SN II standardization does not reduce the scatter in the Hubble diagram. Although SNe II are viable as distance indicators, this work points out important issues for improving their utility as independent extragalactic beacons: find new correlations, define a more standard subclass of SNe II, construct new SN II templates, and dedicate more observing time to high-redshift SNe II. Finally, for the first time, we perform simulations to estimate the redshift-dependent distance-modulus bias due to selection effects. 
    more » « less