Schuyler D. Van Dyk

Spitzer survey of the large magellanic cloud: Surveying the agents of a Galaxy's evolution (SAGE). I. Overview and initial results

We are performing a uniform and unbiased imaging survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC; ~7° × 7°) using the IRAC (3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8 μm) and MIPS (24, 70, and 160 μm) instruments on board the Spitzer Space Telescope in the Surveying the Agents of a Galaxys Evolution (SAGE) survey, these agents being the interstellar medium (ISM) and stars in the LMC. This paper provides an overview of the SAGE Legacy project, including observing strategy, data processing, and initial results. Three key science goals determined the coverage and depth of the survey. The detection of diffuse ISM with column densities >1.2 × 10^(21) H cm^(-2) permits detailed studies of dust processes in the ISM. SAGEs point-source sensitivity enables a complete census of newly formed stars with masses >3 M_☉ that will determine the current star formation rate in the LMC. SAGEs detection of evolved stars with mass-loss rates >1 × 10^(-8) M_☉ yr^(-1) will quantify the rate at which evolved stars inject mass into the ISM of the LMC. The observing strategy includes two epochs in 2005, separated by 3 months, that both mitigate instrumental artifacts and constrain source variability. The SAGE data are nonproprietary. The data processing includes IRAC and MIPS pipelines and a database for mining the point-source catalogs, which will be released to the community in support of Spitzer proposal cycles 4 and 5. We present initial results on the epoch 1 data for a region near N79 and N83. The MIPS 70 and 160 μm images of the diffuse dust emission of the N79/N83 region reveal a similar distribution to the gas emissions, especially the H I 21 cm emission. The measured point-source sensitivity for the epoch 1 data is consistent with expectations for the survey. The point-source counts are highest for the IRAC 3.6 μm band and decrease dramatically toward longer wavelengths, consistent with the fact that stars dominate the point-source catalogs and the dusty objects detected at the longer wavelengths are rare in comparison. The SAGE epoch 1 point-source catalog has ~4 × 10^6 sources, and more are anticipated when the epoch 1 and 2 data are combined. Using Milky Way (MW) templates as a guide, we adopt a simplified point-source classification to identify three candidate groups—stars without dust, dusty evolved stars, and young stellar objects—that offer a starting point for this work. We outline a strategy for identifying foreground MW stars, which may comprise as much as 18% of the source list, and background galaxies, which may comprise ~12% of the source list.

Optical Photometry and Spectroscopy of the SN 1998bw–like Type Ic Supernova 2002ap

ABSTRACT We present optical photometric and spectral data of the peculiar Type Ic supernova SN 2002ap. Photometric coverage includes UBVRI bands from 2002 January 30, the day after discovery, through 2002 December 12. There are five early‐time spectra and eight in the nebular phase. We determine that SN 2002ap is similar to SN 1997ef and the gamma‐ray burst–associated SN 1998bw with respect to spectral and photometric characteristics. The nebular spectra of SN 2002ap present the largest Mg i] λ4571 to [O i] λλ6300, 6364 ratio of any supernova spectra yet published, suggesting that the progenitor of SN 2002ap was a highly stripped star. Comparing the nebular spectra of SN 1985F and SN 2002ap, we notice several similar features, casting the classification of SN 1985F as a normal Type Ib supernova in doubt. We also present nebular modeling of SN 2002ap and find that the object ejected ≳1.5 M⊙ of material within the outer velocity shell of the nebula (∼5500 km s−1) and synthesized ∼0.09 M⊙ of 56Ni.

SN 1997bs in M66: Another Extragalactic η Carinae Analog?1

ABSTRACT We report on SN 1997bs in NGC 3627 (M66), the first supernova discovered by the Lick Observatory Supernova Search using the 0.75 m Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT). Based on its early‐time optical spectrum, SN 1997bs was classified as Type IIn. However, from the BVRI light curves obtained by KAIT early in the supernova’s evolution, and F555W and F814W light curves obtained from Hubble Space Telescope archival WFPC2 images at late times, we question the identification of SN 1997bs as a bona fide supernova. We believe that it is more likely a superoutburst of a very massive luminous blue variable star, analogous to η Carinae, and similar to SN 1961V in NGC 1058 (Filippenko et al. 1995 AJ, 110, 2261) and SN 1954J (“Variable 12”) in NGC 2403 (Humphreys & Davidson 1994 PASP, 106, 1025). The progenitor may have survived the outburst, since the SN is seen in early 1998 at \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs}...

Berkeley Supernova Ia Program - I. Observations, data reduction and spectroscopic sample of 582 low-redshift Type Ia supernovae

In this first paper in a series, we present 1298 low-redshift (z ≲ 0.2) optical spectra of 582 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) observed from 1989 to 2008 as part of the Berkeley Supernova Ia Program (BSNIP). 584 spectra of 199 SNe Ia have well-calibrated light curves with measured distance moduli, and many of the spectra have been corrected for host-galaxy contamination. Most of the data were obtained using the Kast double spectrograph mounted on the Shane 3 m telescope at Lick Observatory and have a typical wavelength range of 3300–10 400 A, roughly twice as wide as spectra from most previously published data sets. We present our observing and reduction procedures, and we describe the resulting SN Database, which will be an online, public, searchable data base containing all of our fully reduced spectra and companion photometry. In addition, we discuss our spectral classification scheme (using the SuperNova IDentification code, snid; Blondin & Tonry), utilizing our newly constructed set of snid spectral templates. These templates allow us to accurately classify our entire data set, and by doing so we are able to reclassify a handful of objects as bona fide SNe Ia and a few other objects as members of some of the peculiar SN Ia subtypes. In fact, our data set includes spectra of nearly 90 spectroscopically peculiar SNe Ia. We also present spectroscopic host-galaxy redshifts of some SNe Ia where these values were previously unknown. The sheer size of the BSNIP data set and the consistency of our observation and reduction methods make this sample unique among all other published SN Ia data sets and complementary in many ways to the large, low-redshift SN Ia spectra presented by Matheson et al. and Blondin et al. In other BSNIP papers in this series, we use these data to examine the relationships between spectroscopic characteristics and various observables such as photometric and host-galaxy properties.

Spitzer survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud, Surveying the Agents of a Galaxy's Evolution (SAGE) IV: dust properties in the interstellar medium

The goal of this paper is to present the results of a preliminary analysis of the extended infrared (IR) emission by dust in the interstellar medium (ISM) of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We combine Spitzer Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution (SAGE) and Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) data and correlate the infrared emission with gas tracers of H I, CO, and Hα. We present a global analysis of the infrared emission as well as detailed modeling of the spectral energy distribution (SED) of a few selected regions. Extended emission by dust associated with the neutral, molecular, and diffuse ionized phases of the ISM is detected at all IR bands from 3.6 μm to 160 μm. The relative abundance of the various dust species appears quite similar to that in the Milky Way (MW) in all the regions we have modeled. We construct maps of the temperature of large dust grains. The temperature map shows variations in the range 12.1-34.7 K, with a systematic gradient from the inner to outer regions, tracing the general distribution of massive stars and individual H II regions as well as showing warmer dust in the stellar bar. This map is used to derive the far-infrared (FIR) optical depth of large dust grains. We find two main departures in the LMC with respect to expectations based on the MW: (1) excess mid-infrared (MIR) emission near 70 μm, referred to as the 70 μm excess, and (2) departures from linear correlation between the FIR optical depth and the gas column density, which we refer to as FIR excess emission. The 70 μm excess increases gradually from the MW to the LMC to the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), suggesting evolution with decreasing metallicity. The excess is associated with the neutral and diffuse ionized gas, with the strongest excess region located in a loop structure next to 30 Dor. We show that the 70 μm excess can be explained by a modification of the size distribution of very small grains with respect to that in the MW, and a corresponding mass increase of ≃13% of the total dust mass in selected regions. The most likely explanation is that the 70 μm excess is due to the production of large very small grains (VSG) through erosion of larger grains in the diffuse medium. This FIR excess could be due to intrinsic variations of the dust/gas ratio, which would then vary from 4.6 to 2.3 times lower than the MW values across the LMC, but X_(CO) values derived from the IR emission would then be about three times lower than those derived from the Virial analysis of the CO data. We also investigate the possibility that the FIR excess is associated with an additional gas component undetected in the available gas tracers. Assuming a constant dust abundance in all ISM phases, the additional gas component would have twice the known H I mass. We show that it is plausible that the FIR excess is due to cold atomic gas that is optically thick in the 21 cm line, while the contribution by a pure H_2 phase with no CO emission remains a possible explanation.

Identification of the Red Supergiant Progenitor of Supernova 2005cs: Do the Progenitors of Type II-P Supernovae Have Low Mass?

The stars that end their lives as supernovae (SNe) have been directly observed in only a handful of cases, mainly because of the extreme difficulty of identifying them in images obtained prior to the SN explosions. Here we report the identification of the progenitor for the recent Type II-plateau (core collapse) SN 2005cs in pre-explosion archival images of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). From high-quality ground-based images of the SN obtained with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, we precisely determine the position of the SN and are able to isolate the SN progenitor to within 004 in the HST ACS optical images. We further pinpoint the SN location to within 0005 from HST ACS ultraviolet images of the SN, confirming our progenitor identification. From photometry of the SN progenitor obtained with the pre-SN ACS images, and also from limits to its brightness in pre-SN HST NICMOS images, we infer that the progenitor is a red supergiant star of spectral type K3-M4 with initial mass 10 ± 3 M☉. We also discuss the implications of the SN 2005cs progenitor identification and its mass estimate. There is an emerging trend that the most common Type II-plateau SNe originate from low-mass supergiants (8-20 M☉).

The Progenitor of Supernova 2011dh/PTF11eon In Messier 51

We have identified a luminous star at the position of supernova (SN) 2011dh/PTF11eon, in pre-SN archival, multi-band images of the nearby, nearly face-on galaxy Messier 51 (M51) obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope with the Advanced Camera for Surveys. This identification has been confirmed, to the highest available astrometric precision, using a Keck-II adaptive-optics image. The available early-time spectra and photometry indicate that the SN is a stripped-envelope, core-collapse Type IIb, with a more compact progenitor (radius ~ 10^(11) cm) than was the case for the well-studied SN IIb 1993J. We infer that the extinction to SN 2011dh and its progenitor arises from a low Galactic foreground contribution, and that the SN environment is of roughly solar metallicity. The detected object has absolute magnitude M^0_V ≈ –7.7 and effective temperature ~6000 K. The stars radius, ~10^(13) cm, is more extended than what has been inferred for the SN progenitor. We speculate that the detected star is either an unrelated star very near the position of the actual progenitor, or, more likely, the progenitors companion in a mass-transfer binary system. The position of the detected star in a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is consistent with an initial mass of 17-19 M_☉. The light of this star could easily conceal, even in the ultraviolet, the presence of a stripped, compact, very hot (~10^5 K), nitrogen-rich Wolf-Rayet star progenitor.

Optical and Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of SN 1995N: Evidence for Strong Circumstellar Interaction

Optical and ultraviolet observations of the Type IIn supernova SN 1995N at epochs between 321 and 1799 days after the explosion show three distinct velocity components. The narrow lines come from circumstellar gas and show both low and high ionization. This component has a low filling factor and is photoionized by X-rays from the shock. The intermediate component, which is dominated by newly processed oxygen, originates in a shell with velocity of 2500-5000 km s-1 and most likely comes from the ejecta. The hydrogen- and helium-dominated gas has a low ionization, a high density, and velocities that extend out to 10,000 km s-1. Strong signatures of Lyα-pumped fluorescence lines of Fe II are seen in the near-infrared and ultraviolet. The He/H ratio, ~0.3 by number, and the nitrogen overabundance provide strong evidence for CNO-burning products. The fluxes of the broad hydrogen and helium lines decrease considerably faster than the oxygen lines. The Hα line profile shows strong evolution, with the red wing decreasing faster than the blue. Possible scenarios, involving either a clumpy circumstellar medium or an aspherical distribution of the surrounding gas, are discussed based on the line profiles and physical conditions. Finally, we propose that Type IIn supernovae have their origin in red supergiants in a superwind phase.

A Massive Progenitor of the Luminous Type IIn Supernova 2010jl

The bright, nearby, recently discovered supernova (SN) 2010jl is a luminous Type IIn SN. Here, we report archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of its host galaxy UGC 5189A taken roughly 10 yr prior to explosion, as well as early-time optical spectra of the SN. The HST images reveal a luminous, blue point source at the position of the SN, with an absolute magnitude of –12.0 in the F300W filter. If it is not just a chance alignment, the source at the SN position could be (1) a massive young (<6 Myr) star cluster in which the SN resided, (2) a quiescent, luminous blue star with an apparent temperature around 14,000 K, (3) a star caught during a bright outburst akin to those of luminous blue variables, or (4) a combination of option (1) and option (2) or (3). Although we cannot confidently choose between these possibilities with the present data, any of them imply that the progenitor of SN 2010jl had an initial mass above 30 M_☉. This reinforces mounting evidence that many SNe IIn result from very massive stars, that massive stars can produce visible SNe without collapsing quietly to black holes, and that massive stars can sometimes retain their H envelopes until shortly before explosion. Standard stellar evolution models fail to account for these observed properties.

A Hidden Population of Massive Stars with Circumstellar Shells Discovered with the Spitzer Space Telescope

We have discovered a large number of circular and elliptical shells at 24 μm around luminous central sources with MIPS on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. Our archival follow-up effort has revealed 90% of these circumstellar shells to be previously unknown. The majority of the shells is only visible at 24 μm, but many of the central stars are detected at multiple wavelengths from the mid- to the near-IR regime. The general lack of optical counterparts, however, indicates that these sources represent a population of highly obscured objects. We obtained optical and near-IR spectroscopic observations of the central stars and find most of these objects to be massive stars. In particular, we identify a large population of sources that we argue represents a narrow evolutionary phase, closely related or identical to the luminous blue variable stage of massive stellar evolution.