arXiv subjects

Shubham Srivastav

Publications and source records attributed to Shubham Srivastav.

44 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

PS15cey and PS17cke: prospective candidates from the Pan-STARRS Search for Kilonovae

Time domain astronomy was revolutionised with the discovery of the first kilonova, AT2017gfo, in August 2017 which was associated with the gravitational wave signal GW170817. Since this event, numerous wide-field surveys have been optimising search strategies to maximise their efficiency of detecting these fast and faint transients. With the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS), we have been conducting a volume limited survey for intrinsically faint and fast fading events to a distance of $D\simeq200$ Mpc. Two promising candidates have been identified from this archival search, with sparse data - PS15cey and PS17cke. Here we present more detailed analysis and discussion of their nature. We observe that PS15cey was a luminous, fast declining transient at 320 Mpc. Models of BH-NS mergers with a very stiff equation of state could possibly reproduce the luminosity and decline but the physical parameters are extreme. A more likely scenario is that this was a SN2018kzr-like merger event. PS17cke was a faint and fast declining event at 15 Mpc. We explore several explosion scenarios of this transient including models of it as a NS-NS and BH-NS merger, the outburst of a massive luminous star, and compare it against other known fast fading transients. Although there is uncertainty in the explosion scenario due to difficulty in measuring the explosion epoch, we find PS17cke to be a plausible kilonova candidate from the model comparisons.

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arXiv2020

The lowest of the low: discovery of SN 2019gsc and the nature of faint Iax supernovae

We present the discovery and optical follow-up of the faintest supernova-like transient known. The event (SN 2019gsc) was discovered in a star-forming host at 53\,Mpc by ATLAS. A detailed multi-colour light curve was gathered with Pan-STARRS1 and follow-up spectroscopy was obtained with the NOT and Gemini-North. The spectra near maximum light show narrow features at low velocities of 3000 to 4000 km s$^{-1}$, similar to the extremely low luminosity SNe 2010ae and 2008ha, and the light curve displays a similar fast decline (\dmr $0.91 \pm 0.10$ mag). SNe 2010ae and 2008ha have been classified as type Iax supernovae, and together the three either make up a distinct physical class of their own or are at the extreme low luminosity end of this diverse supernova population. The bolometric light curve is consistent with a low kinetic energy of explosion ($E_{\rm k} \sim 10^{49}$ erg s$^{-1}$), a modest ejected mass ($M_{\rm ej} \sim 0.2$ \msol) and radioactive powering by $^{56}$Ni ($M_{\rm Ni} \sim 2 \times 10^{-3}$ \msol). The spectra are quite well reproduced with radiative transfer models (TARDIS) and a composition dominated by carbon, oxygen, magnesium, silicon and sulphur. Remarkably, all three of these extreme Iax events are in similar low-metallicity star-forming environments. The combination of the observational constraints for all three may be best explained by deflagrations of near $M_{\rm Ch}$ hybrid carbon-oxygen-neon white dwarfs which have short evolutionary pathways to formation.

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arXiv2019

Observational properties of a Type Ib Supernova MASTER OT J120451.50+265946.6 in NGC 4080

MASTER OT J120451.50+265946.6 (M12045), discovered by the MASTER Global Robotic Net, is a Type Ib supernova (SN) that exploded in NGC 4080. We present the {\it BVRI} photometric and spectroscopic observations upto $\sim$250 days since $B_{max}$. At the time of discovery the SN was a few weeks past maximum light and our observations capture the linearly declining light curve phase. M12045 declines faster as compared to SNe 1999dn and 2009jf at comparable epochs. Rigorous spectroscopic monitoring reveals that M12045 is a normal Type Ib SN. The analysis of the nebular phase spectra indicates that $\sim$ 0.90 M$_\odot$ of O is ejected in the explosion. The line ratio of [\ion{O}{I}] and [\ion{Ca}{II}] in the nebular phase supports a massive WR progenitor with main sequence mass of $\sim$ 20 M$_\odot$.

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arXiv2017

Exploring the optical behaviour of a type Iax supernova SN 2014dt

We present optical photometric (upto $\sim$410 days since $B$$_{max}$) and spectroscopic (upto $\sim$157 days since $B$$_{max}$) observations of a Type Iax supernova (SN) 2014dt located in M61. SN 2014dt is one of the brightest and closest (D $\sim$ 20 Mpc) discovered Type Iax SN. SN 2014dt best matches the light curve evolution of SN 2005hk and reaches a peak magnitude of $M$$_B$ $\sim$-18.13$\pm$0.04 mag with $Δm_{15}$ $\sim$1.35$\pm 0.06$ mag. The early spectra of SN 2014dt are similar to other Type Iax SNe, whereas the nebular spectrum at 157 days is dominated by narrow emission features with less blending as compared to SNe 2008ge and 2012Z. The ejecta velocities are between 5000 to 1000 km sec$^{-1}$ which also confirms the low energy budget of Type Iax SN 2014dt as compared to normal Type Ia SNe. Using the peak bolometric luminosity of SN 2005hk we estimate $^{56}$Ni mass of $\sim$0.14 M$_{\odot}$ and the striking similarity between SN 2014dt and SN 2005hk implies that a comparable amount of $^{56}$Ni would have been synthesized in the explosion of SN 2014dt.

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arXiv2016

SN 2015bp: adding to the growing population of transitional type Ia supernovae

Photometric and spectroscopic observations of type Ia supernova 2015bp are presented, spanning $\sim -6$ to $\sim +141$ days since $B$-band maximum. Also presented are unpublished HCT spectra of type Ia iPTF13ebh between $-11$ to +34 days since $B$-band maximum. SN 2015bp shows rapidly declining light curves with $Δm_{15}(B)=1.72 \pm 0.04$. The $I$-band light curve shows a clear secondary maximum and peaks before the $B$-band maximum, placing SN 2015bp in the transitional category of SNe Ia. The spectral evolution of SN 2015bp resembles other transitional SNe Ia rather than 1991bg-like events. The C~{\sc ii} $λ6580$ feature is detected in both SN 2015bp and iPTF13ebh, though it is present till the epoch of $B$-band maximum in the case of SN 2015bp. The velocity gradients of Si~{\sc ii} $λ6355$ place SN 2015bp and iPTF13ebh in the FAINT subclass, whereas pseudo-equivalent widths of Si~{\sc ii} features place them in the Cool (CL) subclass of SNe Ia. The bolometric light curve of SN 2015bp indicates that $\sim 0.2$ M$_{\odot}$ of $^{56}$Ni was synthesized in the explosion, with a total ejected mass of $\sim 0.9$ M$_{\odot}$, suggesting a sub-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarf progenitor.

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arXiv2016

Optical and NIR observations of the nearby type Ia supernova SN 2014J

Optical and NIR observations of the type Ia supernova SN 2014J in M82 are presented. The observed light curves are found to be similar to normal SNe Ia, with a decline rate parameter $Δm_{15}(B) = 1.08 \pm 0.03$. The supernova reached $B$-band maximum on JD 2456690.14, at an apparent magnitude $m_B(max) = 11.94$. The optical spectra show a red continuum with deep interstellar Na~{\sc i} absorption, but otherwise resemble those of normal SNe Ia. The Si~{\sc ii} $λ6355$ feature indicates a velocity of $\sim 12\,000$ km s$^{-1}$ at $B$-band maximum, which places SN 2014J at the border of the Normal Velocity and High Velocity group of SNe Ia. The velocity evolution of SN 2014J places it in the Low Velocity Gradient subclass, whereas the equivalent widths of Si~{\sc ii} features near $B$-band maximum place it at the border of the Core Normal and Broad Line subclasses of SNe Ia. An analytic model fit to the bolometric light curve indicates that a total of $\sim 1.3$ M$_{\odot}$ was ejected in the explosion, and the ejected $^{56}$Ni mass $M_{Ni} \sim 0.6$ M$_{\odot}$. The low [Fe~{\sc iii}] $\lambda4701$ to [Fe~{\sc ii}] $\lambda5200$ ratio in the nebular spectra of SN 2014J hints towards clumpiness in the ejecta. Optical broadband, linear polarimetric observations of SN 2014J obtained on four epochs indicate an almost constant polarization ($P_{\rm R} \sim$2.7 per cent; $θ$ $\sim$37$^\circ$), which suggests that the polarization signal is of interstellar origin.

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arXiv2014

Optical observations of the fast declining type Ib supernova iPTF13bvn

We present optical UBVRI photometry and medium resolution spectroscopy of the type Ib supernova iPTF13bvn, spanning a phase of $\sim$ $-13\,$d to $+71\,$d with respect to $B$-band maximum. The post maximum decline rates indicate a fast decline with $Δm_{15}(B) = 1.82$. Correcting for a galactic extinction $E(B-V){\rm_{MW}}=0.045$ and host galaxy extinction of $E(B-V){\rm_{host}}=0.17$, the absolute $V$-band magnitude peaks at M$_V=-17.23\, \pm \,0.20$. The bolometric light curve indicates that $\sim 0.09$ M$_{\odot}$ of $^{56}$Ni was synthesized in the explosion. The earliest spectrum ($-13$d) shows the presence of He~{\sc i} 5876 Å feature at a velocity of $\sim$15000 km s$^{-1}$, which falls rapidly by the time the SN approaches the epoch of B-band maximum. The photospheric velocity near maximum light, as indicated by the Fe~{\sc ii} 5169~Å feature, is $\sim 9000$ km s$^{-1}$. The estimate for the $^{56}$Ni mass, together with the estimates for the ejected mass ($M_{\rm{ej}}$) and kinetic energy of the explosion ($E_{\rm{k}}$) indicate that iPTF13bvn is a low luminosity type Ib supernova, with a lower than average ejected mass and kinetic energy. Our results suggest that the progenitor of iPTF13bvn is inconsistent with a single Wolf-Rayet star.

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arXiv2014

iPTF13bvn: The First Evidence of a Binary Progenitor for a Type Ib Supernova

The recent detection in archival HST images of an object at the the location of supernova (SN) iPTF13bvn may represent the first direct evidence of the progenitor of a Type Ib SN. The object's photometry was found to be compatible with a Wolf-Rayet pre-SN star mass of ~11 Msun. However, based on hydrodynamical models we show that the progenitor had a pre-SN mass of ~3.5 Msun and that it could not be larger than ~8 Msun. We propose an interacting binary system as the SN progenitor and perform evolutionary calculations that are able to self-consistently explain the light-curve shape, the absence of hydrogen, and the pre-SN photometry. We further discuss the range of allowed binary systems and predict that the remaining companion is a luminous O-type star of significantly lower flux in the optical than the pre-SN object. A future detection of such star may be possible and would provide the first robust identification of a progenitor system for a Type Ib SN.

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