Adam Rubin

THE HYDROGEN-POOR SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVA iPTF 13ajg AND ITS HOST GALAXY IN ABSORPTION AND EMISSION

We present imaging and spectroscopy of a hydrogen-poor superluminous supernova (SLSN) discovered by the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory, iPTF 13ajg. At a redshift of z = 0.7403, derived from narrow absorption lines, iPTF 13ajg peaked at an absolute magnitude of M_(u,AB) = –22.5, one of the most luminous supernovae to date. The observed bolometric peak luminosity of iPTF 13ajg is 3.2 × 10^(44) erg s^(–1), while the estimated total radiated energy is 1.3 × 10^(51) erg. We detect narrow absorption lines of Mg I, Mg II, and Fe II, associated with the cold interstellar medium in the host galaxy, at two different epochs with X-shooter at the Very Large Telescope. From Voigt profile fitting, we derive the column densities log N(Mg I) =11.94 ± 0.06, log N(Mg II) =14.7 ± 0.3, and log N(Fe II) =14.25 ± 0.10. These column densities, as well as the Mg I and Mg II equivalent widths of a sample of hydrogen-poor SLSNe taken from the literature, are at the low end of those derived for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) whose progenitors are also thought to be massive stars. This suggests that the environments of hydrogen-poor SLSNe and GRBs are different. From the nondetection of Fe II fine-structure absorption lines, we derive a lower limit on the distance between the supernova and the narrow-line absorbing gas of 50 pc. The neutral gas responsible for the absorption in iPTF 13ajg exhibits a single narrow component with a low velocity width, ΔV = 76 km s^(–1), indicating a low-mass host galaxy. No host galaxy emission lines are detected, leading to an upper limit on the unobscured star formation rate (SFR) of SFR_([OII]) < 0.07 M_☉ yr^(-1). Late-time imaging shows the iPTF 13ajg host galaxy to be faint, with g_(AB) ≈ 27.0 and R_(AB) ≥ 26.0 mag, corresponding to M_(B,Vega) ≳ –17.7 mag.

Type II supernova energetics and comparison of light curves to shock-cooling models

During the first few days after explosion, Type II supernovae (SNe) are dominated by relatively simple physics. Theoretical predictions regarding early-time SN light curves in the ultraviolet (UV) and optical bands are thus quite robust. We present, for the first time, a sample of

Confined dense circumstellar material surrounding a regular type II supernova

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THGEM-based detectors for sampling elements in DHCAL: laboratory and beam evaluation

R

PTF13efv - An Outburst 500 Days Prior to the SNHUNT 275 Explosion and Its Radiative Efficiency

-band Type II SN light curves that are well monitored during their rise, having

On the Early-time Excess Emission in Hydrogen-poor Superluminous Supernovae

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Beam studies of the segmented resistive WELL: a potential thin sampling element for digital hadron calorimetry

detections during the first 10 days after discovery, and a well-constrained time of explosion to within

Beam studies of novel THGEM-based potential sampling elements for Digital Hadron Calorimetry

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Laboratory studies of THGEM-based WELL structures with resistive anode

days. We show that the energy per unit mass (