Seiichiro Kiyota

ASASSN-15lh: A highly super-luminous supernova

The most luminous supernova to date Supernovae are exploding stars at the end of their lives, providing an input of heavy elements and energy into galaxies. Some types have near-identical peak brightness, but in recent years a new class of superluminous supernovae has been found. Dong et al.y report the discovery of ASASSN-15lh (SN 2015L), the most luminous supernova yet found by some margin. It appears to originate in a large quiescent galaxy, in contrast to most super-luminous supernovae, which typically come from star-forming dwarf galaxies. The discovery will provide constraints on models of superluminous supernovae and how they affect their host galaxies. Science, this issue p. 257 The most luminous supernova yet found was glimpsed in an unusual host galaxy. We report the discovery of ASASSN-15lh (SN 2015L), which we interpret as the most luminous supernova yet found. At redshift z = 0.2326, ASASSN-15lh reached an absolute magnitude of Mu,AB = –23.5 ± 0.1 and bolometric luminosity Lbol = (2.2 ± 0.2) × 1045 ergs s–1, which is more than twice as luminous as any previously known supernova. It has several major features characteristic of the hydrogen-poor super-luminous supernovae (SLSNe-I), whose energy sources and progenitors are currently poorly understood. In contrast to most previously known SLSNe-I that reside in star-forming dwarf galaxies, ASASSN-15lh appears to be hosted by a luminous galaxy (MK ≈ –25.5) with little star formation. In the 4 months since first detection, ASASSN-15lh radiated (1.1 ± 0.2) × 1052 ergs, challenging the magnetar model for its engine.

Survey of Period Variations of Superhumps in SU UMa-Type Dwarf Novae. II: The Second Year (2009-2010)

As an extension of the project in Kato et al. (2009, arXiv:0905.1757), we collected times of superhump maxima for 61 SU UMa-type dwarf novae mainly observed during the 2009-2010 season. The newly obtained data confirmed the basic findings reported in Kato et al. (2009): the presence of stages A-C, as well as the predominance of positive period derivatives during stage B in systems with superhump periods shorter than 0.07 d. There was a systematic difference in period derivatives for systems with superhump periods longer than 0.075 d between this study and Kato et al. (2009). We suggest that this difference is possibly caused by the relative lack of frequently outbursting SU UMa-type dwarf novae in this period regime in the present study. We recorded a strong beat phenomenon during the 2009 superoutburst of IY UMa. The close correlation between the beat period and superhump period suggests that the changing angular velocity of the apsidal motion of the elliptical disk is responsible for the variation of superhump periods. We also described three new WZ Sge-type objects with established early superhumps and one with likely early superhumps. We also suggest that two systems, VX For and EL UMa, are WZ Sge-type dwarf novae with multiple rebrightenings. The O-C variation in OT J213806.6+261957 suggests that the frequent absence of rebrightenings in very short-Porb objects can be a result of sustained superoutburst plateau at the epoch when usual SU UMa-type dwarf novae return to quiescence preceding a rebrightening. We also present a formulation for a variety of Bayesian extension to traditional period analyses.

Repetitive patterns in rapid optical variations in the nearby black-hole binary V404 Cygni.

How black holes accrete surrounding matter is a fundamental yet unsolved question in astrophysics. It is generally believed that matter is absorbed into black holes via accretion disks, the state of which depends primarily on the mass-accretion rate. When this rate approaches the critical rate (the Eddington limit), thermal instability is supposed to occur in the inner disk, causing repetitive patterns of large-amplitude X-ray variability (oscillations) on timescales of minutes to hours. In fact, such oscillations have been observed only in sources with a high mass-accretion rate, such as GRS 1915+105 (refs 2, 3). These large-amplitude, relatively slow timescale, phenomena are thought to have physical origins distinct from those of X-ray or optical variations with small amplitudes and fast timescales (less than about 10 seconds) often observed in other black-hole binaries—for example, XTE J1118+480 (ref. 4) and GX 339−4 (ref. 5). Here we report an extensive multi-colour optical photometric data set of V404 Cygni, an X-ray transient source containing a black hole of nine solar masses (and a companion star) at a distance of 2.4 kiloparsecs (ref. 8). Our data show that optical oscillations on timescales of 100 seconds to 2.5 hours can occur at mass-accretion rates more than ten times lower than previously thought. This suggests that the accretion rate is not the critical parameter for inducing inner-disk instabilities. Instead, we propose that a long orbital period is a key condition for these large-amplitude oscillations, because the outer part of the large disk in binaries with long orbital periods will have surface densities too low to maintain sustained mass accretion to the inner part of the disk. The lack of sustained accretion—not the actual rate—would then be the critical factor causing large-amplitude oscillations in long-period systems.

HELIUM NOVA ON A VERY MASSIVE WHITE DWARF: A REVISED LIGHT-CURVE MODEL OF V445 PUPPIS (2000)

V445 Pup (2000) is a unique object identified as a helium nova. Color indexes during the outburst are consistent with those of free-free emission. We present a free-free emission-dominated light-curve model of V445 Pup on the basis of the optically thick wind theory. Our light-curve fitting shows that (1) the white dwarf (WD) mass is very massive (MWD 1.35 M☉) and (2) half of the accreted matter remains on the WD, both of which suggest that the WD mass is increasing. Therefore, V445 Pup is a strong candidate for a Type Ia supernova progenitor. The estimated distance to V445 Pup is now consistent with recent observational suggestions, 3.5 kpc d 6.5 kpc. A helium star companion is consistent with the brightness of mv = 14.5 mag just before the outburst, if it is a slightly evolved hot (log T[K] 4.5) star with the mass of MHe 0.8 M☉. We then emphasize importance of observations in the near-future quiescent phase after the thick circumstellar dust dissipates away, especially its color and magnitude, to specify the nature of the companion star. We have also calculated helium ignition masses for helium shell flashes against various helium accretion rates and discussed the recurrence period of helium novae.

Superhumps and Accretion Disk Precession in TT Arietis

We have been conducting a long-term (1988-1998) photometric study of the nova-like variable TT Arietis. The main periodic signal in the stars light curve normally occurs at a period that varies but averages ~0.1329 days, which is about 3.5% shorter than the orbital period of the binary. In 1997, this signal disappeared and was replaced by a stronger signal 8.5% longer than the orbital period. This new wave strongly resembles thesuperhumps commonly seen in SU UMa-type dwarf novae during superoutburst. In superhump parlance, we could say that a negative superhump was replaced by a positive superhump (P > Porb

Survey of Period Variations of Superhumps in SU UMa-Type Dwarf Novae. IV. The Fourth Year (2011–2012)

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TV Corvi revisited: Precursor and superhump period derivative linked to the disk instability model

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Survey of Period Variations of Superhumps in SU UMa-Type Dwarf Novae. III: The Third Year (2010-2011)

t SUBgt {r orb}t/SUBgt

The hydrogen-burning turnoff of RS Ophiuchi (2006)

-->). This could signify the development of an eccentric instability in the accretion disk. The two superhumps probably signify two types of disk precession: apsidal advance and nodal regression. TT Ari is an excellent candidate for observational studies that probe the origin of superhumps.

Survey of period variations of superhumps in SU UMa-type dwarf novae. V. The fifth year (2012–2013)

Continuing the project described by Kato et al. (2009, arXiv:0905.1757), we studied 86 SU UMa-type dwarf novae. We confirmed the general trends such as the relation between period derivatives and orbital periods. There are some systems showing positive period derivatives despite the long orbital periods. We observed the 2011 outburst of the WZ Sge-type dwarf nova BW Scl, and recorded an O-C diagram similar to those of previously known WZ Sge-type dwarf novae. The WZ Sge-type dwarf nova OT J184228.1+483742 showed an unusual pattern of double outbursts composed of an outburst with early superhumps and one with ordinary superhumps. We propose an interpretation that a very small growth rate of the 3:1 resonance due to an extremely low mass-ratio led to a quenching of the superoutburst before the ordinary superhumps appeared. We studied ER UMa-type dwarf novae and found that V1159 Ori showed positive superhumps similar to ER UMa in the 1990s. The recently recognized ER UMa-type object BK Lyn dominantly showed negative superhumps, and its behavior was very similar to the present-day state of ER UMa. The pattern of period variations in AM CVn-type objects were very similar to short-period hydrogen-rich SU UMa-type dwarf novae, making them helium analogue of hydrogen-rich SU UMa-type dwarf novae. SBS 1108+574, a peculiar hydrogen-rich dwarf nova below the period minimum, showed a very similar pattern of period variations to those of short-period SU UMa-type dwarf novae. The mass-ratio derived from the detected orbital period suggests that this secondary is a somewhat evolved star whose hydrogen envelope was mostly stripped during the mass-exchange. CC Scl, MASTER OT J072948.66+593824.4 and OT J173516.9+154708 showed only low-amplitude superhumps with complex profiles. These superhumps are likely a combination of closely separated two periods.