* Astronomy

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Home -> Astronomy News -> Stars/galaxy News -> Supernova 2005gj
Post Info TOPIC: Supernova 2005gj
Blobrana


L

Posts: 131433
Date:
RE: Supernova 2005gj
Permalink  
 

Astronomers recently announced that they have found a novel explanation for a rare type of super-luminous stellar explosion that may have produced a new type of object known as a quark star.
Three exceptionally luminous supernovae explosions have been observed in recent years. One of them was first observed using a robotic telescope at the California Institute of Technology's (Caltech) Palomar Observatory.
Data collected with Palomar's Samuel Oschin Telescope was transmitted from the remote mountain site in southern California to astronomers via the High-Performance Wireless Research and Education Network (HPWREN), funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Nearby Supernova Factory research group at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory reported the co-discovery of the supernova, known as SN2005gj.

Read more

__________________
Blobrana


L

Posts: 131433
Date:
Permalink  
 

Titan: Nearby Supernova Factory Observations of SN 2005gj: Another Type Ia Supernova in a Massive Circumstellar Envelope
Authors: The Nearby Supernova Factory Collaboration: G. Aldering, P. Antilogus, S. Bailey, C. Baltay, A. Bauer, N. Blanc, S. Bongard, Y. Copin, E. Gangler, S. Gilles, R. Kessler, D. Kocevski, B. C. Lee, S. Loken, P. Nugent, R. Pain, E. Pecontal, R. Pereira, S. Perlmutter, D. Rabinowitz, G. Rigaudier, R. Scalzo, G. Smadja, R. C. Thomas, L. Wang, B. A. Weaver

Researchers report Nearby Supernova Factory observations of SN 2005gj, the second confirmed case of a "hybrid" Type Ia/IIn supernova. Their early-phase photometry of SN 2005gj shows that the interaction is much stronger than for the prototype, SN 2002ic. The researchers first spectrum shows a hot continuum with broad and narrow H-alpha emission. Later spectra, spanning over 4 months from outburst, show clear Type Ia features combined with broad and narrow H-gamma, H-beta, H-alpha and HeI 5876,7065 in emission. At higher resolution, P Cygni profiles are apparent.
Surprisingly, they also observe an inverted P Cygni profile for (OIII) 5007. They find that the lightcurve and measured velocity of the unshocked circumstellar material imply mass loss as recently as 8 years ago. The early lightcurve is well-described by a flat radial density profile for the circumstellar material. However, our decomposition of the spectra into Type Ia and shock emission components allows for little obscuration of the supernova, suggesting an aspherical or clumpy distribution for the circumstellar material. They suggest that the emission line velocity profiles arise from electron scattering rather than the kinematics of the shock. This is supported by the inferred high densities, and the lack of evidence for evolution in the line widths. Ground- and space-based photometry, and Keck spectroscopy, of the host galaxy are used to ascertain that the host galaxy has low metallicity Z/Zsun < 0.3; (95% confidence) and that this galaxy is undergoing a significant star formation event that began roughly 200 ±70 Myr ago. They discuss the implications of these observations for progenitor models and cosmology using Type Ia supernovae.

Read more (872kb, PDF)

__________________
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
Home -> Astronomy News -> Stars/galaxy News -> Supernova 2005gj


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse 		Powered by ActiveBoard