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Stanley E. Kurtz

Publications and source records attributed to Stanley E. Kurtz.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

GRB 260310A / SN 2026fgk: A Multi-Wavelength Study of a Nearby Underluminous Long GRB and SN with a Complex Afterglow

We present a comprehensive multi-wavelength study of GRB 260310A / SN 2026fgk, a nearby ($z=0.153$), long-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) with an exceptionally underluminous prompt $γ$-ray emission and a Comptonized spectrum. The burst occurred at the edge of a blue host galaxy at a projected distance of 15 kpc, which is one of the largest offsets reported for a long GRB. The bright optical afterglow, with dense coverage from COLIBRÍ, likely peaked at a few to several hours post-burst, followed by a shallow decay not expected from canonical afterglow models. Both the optical and X-ray light curves show a brief chromatic plateau from $4-7$ days. We show that the subsequent rebrightening observed at $\sim20$ days is best explained by the combined contribution of the associated Type Ic-BL supernova, identified in GTC spectra, and a late-time refreshed shock. The broadband optical to X-ray spectral energy distribution is well described by synchrotron emission from the forward shock, while the radio observations demand an additional emission component. We model the afterglow using (a) an on-axis uniform jet from a dirty fireball with late-time energy injection and (b) a misaligned jet with power-law angular structure, both having material emitting along our line-of-sight (LOS) moving with an initial Lorentz factor of $Γ_0\sim20-35$. We conclude that at more typical GRB distances ($z\gtrsim0.5$) the prompt $γ$-ray emission from this source would likely have escaped detection, whereas its optical afterglow would have remained observable, making the event appear as an orphan afterglow or a gamma-ray quiet fast X-ray transient.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2020

Ultracompact HII regions with extended emission: The case of G43.89-0.78 and its molecular environment

The Karl Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO), Atacama Large Millimetric Array (ALMA), and the infrared \textit{Spitzer} observatories, are powerful facilities to study massive star formation regions and related objects such as ultra--compact (UC) \hii regions, molecular clumps, and cores. We used these telescopes to study the \uchiir G43.89--0.78. The morphological study at arcminute scales using NVSS and \textit{Spitzer} data shows that this region is similar to those observed in the \textit{ bubble--like} structures revealed by \textit{Spitzer} observations. With this result, and including a physical characterization based on 3.6 cm data, we suggest G43.89--0.78 be classified as an \uchiir with Extended Emission because it meets the operational definition given in this paper comparing radio continuum data at 3.6 and 20~cm. For the ultra-compact component, we use VLA data to obtain physical parameters at 3.6~cm confirming this region as an \uchii region. Using ALMA observations, we detect the presence of a dense ($2.6\times10^7$ cm$^{-3}$) and small ($\sim$ 2.0\arcsec; 0.08 pc) molecular clump with a mass of 220 M$_{\odot}$ and average kinetic temperature of 21~K, located near to the \uchii region. In this clump, catalogued as G43.890--0.784, water masers also exist, possibly tracing a bipolar outflow. We discover in this vicinity two additional clumps which we label as G43.899--0.786 (T$_d$ = 50 K; M = 11 M$_{\odot}$), and G43.888--0.787 (T$_d$ = 50 K; M = 15 M$_{\odot}$).

astro-ph.GA↗
arXiv2019

Ultracompact H II Regions with Extended Emission: The Complete View

In this paper we present the results of a morphological study performed on a sample of 28 ultracompact \hiirs~located near extended free-free emission, using radio continuum observations at 3.6~cm with the C and D VLA~configurations, with the aim of determining a direct connection between them. By using previously published observations in B and D VLA~configurations, we compiled a final catalogue of 21 ultracompact \hiirs ~directly connected with the surrounding extended emission. The observed morphology of most of the ultracompact \hiirs~in radio continuum emission is irregular (single or multi-peaked sources) and resembles a classical bubble structure in the Galactic plane with well-defined cometary arcs. Radio continuum images superimposed on colour composite \textit{Spitzer} images reinforce the assignations of direct connection by the spatial coincidence between the ultracompact components and regions of saturated 24~\micron~emission. We also find that the presence of extended emission may be crucial to understand the observed infrared-excess because an underestimation of ionizing Lyman photons was considered in previous works.

astro-ph.GA↗
arXiv2017

Interferometric and single-dish observations of 44, 84 and 95 GHz Class I methanol masers

We present observations of massive star-forming regions selected from the IRAS Point Source Catalog. The observations were made with the Very Large Array and the Large Millimeter Telescope to search for Class I methanol masers. We made interferometric observations of 125 massive star-forming regions in the 44 GHz methanol maser transition; 53 of the 125 fields showed emission. The data allow us to demonstrate associations, at arcsecond precision, of the Class I maser emission with outflows, HII regions and shocks traced by 4.5 $μ$m emission. We made single-dish observations toward 38 of 53 regions with 44 GHz masers detected to search for methanol transitions at 84.5, 95.1, 96.7, 107.0, and 108.8 GHz. We find detection rates of 74, 55, 100, 3, and 45%, respectively. We used a wide-band receiver which revealed many other spectral lines that are common in star-forming regions.

astro-ph.GA↗
arXiv2017

A catalog of 44 GHz methanol masers in massive star-forming regions. IV. The high-mass protostellar object sample

We present a survey of 56 massive star-forming regions in the 44 GHz methanol maser transition made with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA); 24 of the 56 fields showed maser emission. The data allow us to demonstrate associations, at arcsecond precision, of the Class I maser emission with outflows, HII regions, and shocks traced by 4.5 micron emission. We find a total of 83 maser components with linewidths ranging from 0.17 to 3.3 km s$^{-1}$ with a nearly flat distribution and a median value of 1.1 km s$^{-1}$. The relative velocities of the masers with respect to the systemic velocity of the host clouds range from $-$2.5 to 3.1 km s$^{-1}$ with a distribution peaking near zero. We also study the correlation between the masers and the so-called extended green objects (EGOs) from the GLIMPSE survey. Multiple sources in each field are revealed from IR images as well as from centimeter continuum emission from VLA archival data; in the majority of cases the 44 GHz masers are positionally correlated with EGOs which seem to trace the younger sources in the fields. We report a possible instance of a 44 GHz maser associated with a low-mass protostar. If confirmed, this region will be the fifth known star-forming region that hosts Class I masers associated with low-mass protostars. We discuss three plausible cases of maser variability.

astro-ph.GA↗
arXiv2013

New Radio Continuum Observations of the Compact Source Projected Inside NGC 6334A

A handful of HII regions are known to exhibit a compact radio source near their centers. The nature of these compact radio sources is not well established. We present the analysis of new as well as archival Very Large Array observations of the compact source projected near the center of the NGC 6334A HII region, part of the NGC 6334 complex. We show that the compact source is time variable on a scale of years and determine for one epoch a non-thermal spectrum, suggestive of synchrotron emission. We propose that this source could be the wind interaction region of a massive binary system that could be the ionizing source of NGC 6334A.

astro-ph.SR↗
arXiv2004

A Cluster of 1.3 cm Continuum Sources in OMC1 South

We present sensitive 1.3 cm radio continuum observations of the region OMC1 South (OMC-1S) in Orion using the Very Large Array in its B configuration. We detect eleven radio sources clustered in a $30{''} \times 30{''}$ region, of which only three had been detected previously at radio wavelengths in deep 3.6 cm observations. The eight new radio sources are compact ($θ_s \leq 0\rlap.{''}1$) and we set lower limits to their spectral indices, $α> 0.8 \pm 0.3$ (with $S_ν\propto ν^α$), that suggest that they may be optically-thick H II regions. However, one of the new sources exhibits significant circular polarization, indicating that gyrosynchrotron emission with large positive spectral indices may be an alternative explanation. Furthermore, we find that four other sources are associated with infrared sources of low bolometric luminosity that cannot drive an H II region. Finally, two of the sources previously detected at 3.6-cm are angularly resolved in the 1.3 cm image and their major axes have position angles that align well with large scale outflows emanating from OMC-1S. The radio source 143-353 has a major axis with a position angle consistent with those of the HH 202 and HH 528 flows, while the radio source 134-411 has a major axis with a position angle consistent with that of the low-velocity molecular outflow associated with the far-infrared source FIR~4.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2004

Compact Radio Sources in Orion: New Detections, Time Variability, and Objects in OMC-1S

We present the analysis of four 3.6 cm radio continuum archival observations of Orion obtained using the Very Large Array in its A-configuration, with $0\rlap.{''}3$ angular resolution. The observations were made during the period 1994-1997. In a region of $4' \times 4'$, we detect a total of 77 compact radio sources. Of the total of detected sources, 54 are detected in one or more of the individual observations and 36 of these show time variability (by more than 30%) between the observed epochs. A deep image made from averaging all data shows an additional 23 faint sources, in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 mJy. Of the total of 77 sources, 39 are new centimeter detections. However, only 9 of the 77 sources do not have a previously reported counterpart at near-infrared, optical, or X-ray wavelengths. In particular, we detect three faint sources in the OMC-1S region that may be related to the sources that power the multiple outflows that emanate from this part of the Orion nebula. %We discuss the nature of these sources and its relation with the %near-infrared, optical, and X-ray objects in the region.

astro-ph↗