Victoria Scowcroft

A tale of two GRB-SNe at a common redshift of z=0.54

We present ground-based and Hubble Space Telescope optical observations of the optical transients (OTs) of long-duration Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) 060729 and 090618, both at a redshift of z= 0.54. For GRB 060729, bumps are seen in the optical light curves (LCs), and the late-time broad-band spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the OT resemble those of local Type Ic supernovae (SNe). For GRB 090618, the dense sampling of our optical observations has allowed us to detect well-defined bumps in the optical LCs, as well as a change in colour, that are indicative of light coming from a core-collapse SN. The accompanying SNe for both events are individually compared with SN1998bw, a known GRB supernova, and SN1994I, a typical Type Ic supernova without a known GRB counterpart, and in both cases the brightness and temporal evolution more closely resemble SN1998bw. We also exploit our extensive optical and radio data for GRB 090618, as well as the publicly available Swift-XRT data, and discuss the properties of the afterglow at early times. In the context of a simple jet-like model, the afterglow of GRB 090618 is best explained by the presence of a jet-break at t-to > 0.5 d. We then compare the rest-frame, peak V-band absolute magnitudes of all of the GRB and X-Ray Flash (XRF)-associated SNe with a large sample of local Type Ibc SNe, concluding that, when host extinction is considered, the peak magnitudes of the GRB/XRF-SNe cannot be distinguished from the peak magnitudes of non-GRB/XRF SNe. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A tale of two GRB-SNe at a common redshift of z = 0.54

We present ground-based and Hubble Space Telescope optical observations of the optical transients (OTs) of long-duration Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) 060729 and 090618, both at a redshift of z= 0.54. For GRB 060729, bumps are seen in the optical light curves (LCs), and the late-time broad-band spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the OT resemble those of local Type Ic supernovae (SNe). For GRB 090618, the dense sampling of our optical observations has allowed us to detect well-defined bumps in the optical LCs, as well as a change in colour, that are indicative of light coming from a core-collapse SN. The accompanying SNe for both events are individually compared with SN1998bw, a known GRB supernova, and SN1994I, a typical Type Ic supernova without a known GRB counterpart, and in both cases the brightness and temporal evolution more closely resemble SN1998bw. We also exploit our extensive optical and radio data for GRB 090618, as well as the publicly available Swift-XRT data, and discuss the properties of the afterglow at early times. In the context of a simple jet-like model, the afterglow of GRB 090618 is best explained by the presence of a jet-break at t-to > 0.5 d. We then compare the rest-frame, peak V-band absolute magnitudes of all of the GRB and X-Ray Flash (XRF)-associated SNe with a large sample of local Type Ibc SNe, concluding that, when host extinction is considered, the peak magnitudes of the GRB/XRF-SNe cannot be distinguished from the peak magnitudes of non-GRB/XRF SNe. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Carnegie Hubble Program: The Leavitt Law at 3.6 μm and 4.5 μm in the Large Magellanic Cloud

The Carnegie Hubble Program is designed to improve the extragalactic distance scale using data from the post-cryogenic era of Spitzer. The ultimate goal is a determination of the Hubble constant to an accuracy of 2%. This paper is the first in a series on the Cepheid population of the Large Magellanic Cloud, and focusses on the period-luminosity (PL) relations (Leavitt laws) that will be used, in conjunction with observations of Milky Way Cepheids, to set the slope and zero point of the Cepheid distance scale in the mid-infrared. To this end, we have obtained uniformly sampled light curves for 85 LMC Cepheids, having periods between 6 and 140 days. PL and period-color relations are presented in the 3.6 μm and 4.5 μm bands. We demonstrate that the 3.6 μm band is a superb distance indicator. The cyclical variation of the [3.6]–[4.5] color has been measured for the first time. We attribute the amplitude and phase of the color curves to the dissociation and recombination of CO molecules in the Cepheids atmosphere. The CO affects only the 4.5 μm flux making it a potential metallicity indicator.

THE CARNEGIE HUBBLE PROGRAM

We present an overview of and preliminary results from an ongoing comprehensive program that has a goal of determining the Hubble constant to a systematic accuracy of ±2%. As part of this program, we are currently obtaining 3.6 μm data using the Infrared Array Camera on Spitzer, and the program is designed to include James Webb Space Telescope in the future. We demonstrate that the mid-infrared period-luminosity relation for Cepheids at 3.6 μm is the most accurate means of measuring Cepheid distances to date. At 3.6 μm, it is possible to minimize the known remaining systematic uncertainties in the Cepheid extragalactic distance scale. We discuss the advantages of 3.6 μm observations in minimizing systematic effects in the Cepheid calibration of H 0 including the absolute zero point, extinction corrections, and the effects of metallicity on the colors and magnitudes of Cepheids. We undertake three independent tests of the sensitivity of the mid-IR Cepheid Leavitt Law to metallicity, which when combined will allow a robust constraint on the effect. Finally, we provide a new mid-IR Tully-Fisher relation for spiral galaxies.

Physical parameters and the projection factor of the classical Cepheid in the binary system OGLE-LMC-CEP-0227

A novel method of analysis of double-lined eclipsing binaries containing a radially pulsating star is presented. The combined pulsating-eclipsing light curve is built up from a purely eclipsing light curve grid created using an existing modeling tool. For every pulsation phase the instantaneous radius and surface brightness are taken into account, being calculated from the disentangled radial velocity curve of the pulsating star and from its out-of-eclipse pulsational light curve and the light ratio of the components, respectively. The best model is found using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. The method is applied to the eclipsing binary Cepheid OGLE-LMC-CEP-0227 (Ppuls = 3.80 d, Porb = 309 d). We analyze a set of new spectroscopic and photometric observations for this binary, simultaneously fitting OGLE V-band, I-band and Spitzer 3.6 µm photometry. We derive a set of fundamental parameters of the system significantly improving the precision comparing to the previous results obtained by our group. The Cepheid mass and radius are M1 = 4.165 ± 0.032M⊙ and R1 = 34.92± 0.34R⊙, respectively. For the first time a direct, geometrical and distance-independent determination of the Cepheid projection factor is presented. The value p =1.21 ± 0.03(stat.) ± 0.04(syst.) is consistent with theoretical expectations for a short period Cepheid and interferometric measurements for δ Cep. We also find a very high value of the optical limb darkening coefficients for the Cepheid component, in strong disagreement with theoretical predictions for static atmospheres at a given surface temperature and gravity.

The Carnegie Hubble Program: The Distance And Structure Of The SMC As Revealed By Mid-Infrared Observations Of Cepheids

Using Spitzer observations of classical Cepheids we have measured the true average distance modulus of the SMC to be

CALIBRATION OF THE MID-INFRARED TULLY-FISHER RELATION

18.96 \pm 0.01_{stat} \pm 0.03_{sys}

A PRELIMINARY CALIBRATION OF THE RR LYRAE PERIOD-LUMINOSITY RELATION AT MID-INFRARED WAVELENGTHS: WISE DATA

mag (corresponding to

On the Distance of the Globular Cluster M4 (NGC 6121) Using RR Lyrae Stars. II. Mid-infrared Period-luminosity Relations.

62 \pm 0.3

The Calibration of the WISE W1 and W2 Tully-Fisher Relation

kpc), which is