arXiv subjects

Aidan Sedgewick

Publications and source records attributed to Aidan Sedgewick.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

SN 2024iss: A Multi-Wavelength Exposé of a Type IIb Supernova with an Early-Time Ultraviolet Spectrum and Shock Breakout Constraints

We present multi-wavelength observations and a comprehensive analysis of the nearby (D$\sim$14 Mpc) Type IIb supernova (SN IIb) 2024iss. Observations of SN2024iss include an early ZTF detection at $\sim$40 minutes after first light and the earliest Hubble Space Telescope UV spectrum for a SN IIb to date at 7 days after first light. With the bolometric light curve and He-star models, we estimate an ejecta mass range of $\sim 1.1-3.3~M_{\odot}$ and a $^{56}\textrm{Ni}$ mass of $0.11 \pm 0.01~M_{\odot}$. We fit shock-cooling emission models to the first peak in the light curve and estimate a progenitor radius of $100-320~R_{\odot}$ and a H-rich envelope mass of $0.07-0.46~M_{\odot}$. We also compared optical/UV spectra to binary progenitor model spectra, which indicate a stripped H-rich envelope mass of $0.19-0.28~M_{\odot}$. We use early-time X-ray detections to calculate CSM densities that are consistent with a progenitor mass-loss rate of $5\times10^{-4}~M_{\odot}$ ($v_w = 100~$km/s), corresponding to a period of significant mass ejection in the final ~2-5 years before core collapse. In the UV spectrum, we observe strong Mg II emission extending to $\sim15,000 ~$km/s as well as weak P-Cygni profiles of iron-group elements (e.g., Fe, Ti, Al, Ni) present in the outer SN ejecta during the end of shock cooling phase. We find that the overall spectroscopic evolution of SN2024iss is comparable to other SNe IIb, but that the increased brightness following the initial light curve peak is likely influenced by SN ejecta-CSM interaction. Finally, optical/NIR nebular spectroscopy of SN2024iss at $\sim 260-412~$ days reveals multi-peaked forbidden line profiles of O I and Mg I] indicative of inner ejecta asymmetry and/or clumping. We demonstrate the utility of a rich, multi-wavelength dataset for constraining the progenitor systems and explosion dynamics of SNe IIb.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Spectral Diversity in Type Ibn Supernovae and the Large Host Offset of SN2024acyl

In this paper, we first present observations of SN~2024acyl, a normal Type Ibn supernova with a large projected offset ($\sim$35~kpc) from its host galaxy. The low star-formation rate measured at the explosion site raises the possibility that the progenitor of SN~2024acyl may not have been a massive star. We then examine, more broadly, the spectral diversity of Type Ibn supernovae around 20--35 days after peak brightness and identify two distinct groups: Group I, which shows bluer rest-frame optical color and narrower He~I emission lines; and Group II, which shows redder rest-frame optical color and broader He~I lines. Group~I also tends to show higher peak luminosities. The diversity we identify appears to be closely connected to the diversity observed around peak and to persist into late phases ($>80$ days after peak). Given its redder color and broader He~I lines, we classify SN~2024acyl as belonging to Group II. Based on the current dataset, we find no clear connection between this spectral diversity and either the host environments of Type Ibn SNe or their pre-explosion activity. The observed diversity in Type Ibn SNe likely reflects differences in circumstellar material properties and/or explosion energetics. These differences could result from a range of progenitor properties, such as different helium star mass, orbital period and companion type if they are in binary systems, and may indicate fundamentally diverse progenitors. Whether a continuous distribution exists between the two groups remains to be determined and will require further data to explore.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Exploring over 700 massive quiescent galaxies at z = 2-7: Demographics and stellar mass functions

High-redshift ($z>2$) massive quiescent galaxies are crucial tests of early galaxy formation and evolutionary mechanisms through their cosmic number densities and stellar mass functions (SMFs). We explore a sample of 743 massive ($\rm M_*> 10^{9.5}M_\odot$) quiescent galaxies from $z=2-7$ in over 800 arcmin$^2$ of NIRCam imaging from a compilation of public JWST fields (with a total area $>$ 5 $\times$ previous JWST studies). We compute and report their cosmic number densities, stellar mass functions, and cosmic stellar mass density. We confirm a significant overabundance of massive quiescent galaxies relative to a range of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations and semi-analytic models (SAMs). We find that no simulations or SAMs accurately reproduce the SMF for massive quiescent galaxies at any redshift within the interval $z=2-5$. This shows that none of these models' feedback prescriptions are fully capturing high-z galaxy quenching, challenging the standard formation scenarios. We find a greater abundance of lower-mass ($\rm M_*<10^{10}M_\odot$) quiescent galaxies than previously found, highlighting the importance of sSFR cuts rather than simple colour selection. We show the importance of this selection bias, alongside individual field-to-field variations caused by cosmic variance, in varying the observed quiescent galaxy SMF, especially at higher-z. We also find a steeper increase in the cosmic stellar mass density for massive quiescent galaxies than has been seen previously, with $ρ_*\propto (1+z)^{-7.2\pm0.3}$, indicating the dramatic increase in the importance of galaxy quenching within these epochs.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

Evidence for Multiple Types of Post-Starburst Galaxies

The quenching mechanisms of galaxies are not yet fully understood, but post-starburst galaxies provide one explanation for the rapid transition between star-forming and quiescent galaxies. At low redshift, it is generally thought that the starburst initiating the post-starburst phase is merger-driven, however, not all post-starburst galaxies show evidence of a merger, and recent studies suggested that post-starburst galaxies may be produced by multiple distinct mechanisms. This study examines whether multiple types of post-starburst galaxies actually exist, that is, whether the properties of post-starburst galaxies are multimodal. We used uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) to cluster post-starburst galaxies based on spectroscopic data. The results suggest that there are three types of post-starburst galaxies that have dissimilar stacked spectral energy distributions and are separated by a combination of their H$α$ and [OII]$λ$3727 line strengths with an accuracy of 91%. A comparison of various galaxy properties (e.g., emission line strengths, mass and age distributions, and morphologies) indicates that the grouping is not just an age sequence, but may be correlated to the merger-histories of the galaxies. It suggested that the three post-starburst galaxy types have different origins, some of which may not be merger-driven, and that all typical galaxies go through the post-starburst phase at turnoff.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

AAS2RTO: Automated Alert Streams to Real-Time Observations: Preparing for rapid follow-up of transient objects in the era of LSST

The upcoming Vera C. Rubin Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will discover tens of thousands of astrophysical transients per night, far outpacing available spectroscopic follow-up capabilities. Carefully prioritising candidates for follow-up observations will maximise the scientific return from small telescopes with a single-object spectrograph. We introduce AAS2RTO, an astrophysical transient candidate prioritisation tool written in Python. AAS2RTO is flexible in that any number of criteria that consider observed properties of transients can be implemented. The visibility of candidates from a given observing site is also considered. The prioritised list of candidates provided by AAS2RTO is continually updated when new transient data are made available. Therefore, it can be applied to observing campaigns with a wide variety of scientific motivations. AAS2RTO uses a greedy algorithm to prioritise candidates. Candidates are represented by a single numerical value, or `score'. Scores are computed by constructing simple numerical factors which individually consider the competing facets of a candidate which make it suitable for follow-up observation. AAS2RTO is currently configured to work primarily with photometric data from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), distributed by certified LSST community brokers. We provide an example of how AAS2RTO can be used by defining a set of criteria to prioritise observations of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) close to peak brightness, in preparation for observations with the spectrograph at the Danish-1.54m telescope. Using a sample of archival alerts from ZTF, we evaluate the criteria we have designed to estimate the number of SNe Ia that we will be able to observe with a 1.5m telescope. Finally, we evaluate the performance of our criteria when applied to mock LSST observations of SNe Ia.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2021

The variability of brightest cluster galaxies at high radio frequencies

Variability of a galaxy's core radio source can be a significant consequence of AGN accretion. However, this variability has not been well studied, particularly at high radio frequencies. As such, we report on a campaign monitoring the high radio frequency variability of 20 nearby, cool-core brightest cluster galaxies. From our representative sample, we show that most vary significantly over timescales of approximately one year and longer. Our highest cadence observations are at 15 GHz and are from the Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO). They have a median time interval of 7 days and mostly span between 8 and 13 years. We apply a range of variability detection techniques to the sources' lightcurves to analyse changes on week to decade long timescales. Most notably, at least half of the sources show 20 per cent peak to trough variability on 3 year timescales, while at least a third vary by 60 per cent on 6 year timescales. Significant variability, which is important to studies of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect in the radio/sub-mm, is therefore a common feature of these sources. We also show how the variability relates to spectral properties at frequencies of up to 353 GHz using data from the Korean VLBI network (KVN), the NIKA2 instrument of the IRAM 30m telescope, and the SCUBA-2 instrument of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope.

astro-ph.GA↗