Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

V. V. Dwarkadas

Publications and source records attributed to V. V. Dwarkadas.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2025

A Panchromatic View of Late-time Shock Power in the Type II Supernova 2023ixf

We present multi-wavelength observations of the type II supernova (SN II) 2023ixf during its first two years of evolution. We combine ground-based optical/NIR spectroscopy with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) far- and near-ultraviolet spectroscopy and James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) near- and mid-infrared photometry and spectroscopy to create spectral energy distributions of SN 2023ixf at +374 and +620 days post-explosion, covering a wavelength range of ~0.1-30 $μ$m. The multi-band light curve of SN 2023ixf follows a standard radioactive decay decline rate after the plateau until ~500 days, at which point shock powered emission from ongoing interaction between the SN ejecta and circumstellar material (CSM) begins to dominate. This evolution is temporally consistent with 0.3-10 keV X-ray detections of SN 2023ixf and broad ''boxy'' spectral line emission from reprocessing of shock luminosity in a cold dense shell located between forward and reverse shocks. Using the expected absorbed radioactive decay power and the detected X-ray luminosity, we quantify the total shock powered emission at the +374 and +620 day epochs and find that it can be explained by nearly complete thermalization of the reverse shock luminosity as SN 2023ixf interacts with a continuous, ''wind-like'' CSM with a progenitor mass-loss rate of $\dot M \approx 10^{-4}$ M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$ ($v_w = 20 \pm 5$ km/s). Additionally, we construct multi-epoch spectral models from the non-LTE radiative transfer code CMFGEN, which contain radioactive decay and shock powers, as well as dust absorption, scattering, and emission. We find that models with shock powers of $L_{sh} = (0.5-1) \times 10^{40}$ erg s$^{-1}$ and $(0.5 - 1) \times 10^{-3}$ M$_{\odot}$ of silicate dust in the cold dense shell and/or inner SN ejecta can effectively reproduce the global properties of the late-time (>300 days) UV-to-IR spectra of SN 2023ixf.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2023

Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to spectral signatures of hadronic PeVatrons with application to Galactic Supernova Remnants

The local Cosmic Ray (CR) energy spectrum exhibits a spectral softening at energies around 3~PeV. Sources which are capable of accelerating hadrons to such energies are called hadronic PeVatrons. However, hadronic PeVatrons have not yet been firmly identified within the Galaxy. Several source classes, including Galactic Supernova Remnants (SNRs), have been proposed as PeVatron candidates. The potential to search for hadronic PeVatrons with the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is assessed. The focus is on the usage of very high energy $γ$-ray spectral signatures for the identification of PeVatrons. Assuming that SNRs can accelerate CRs up to knee energies, the number of Galactic SNRs which can be identified as PeVatrons with CTA is estimated within a model for the evolution of SNRs. Additionally, the potential of a follow-up observation strategy under moonlight conditions for PeVatron searches is investigated. Statistical methods for the identification of PeVatrons are introduced, and realistic Monte--Carlo simulations of the response of the CTA observatory to the emission spectra from hadronic PeVatrons are performed. Based on simulations of a simplified model for the evolution for SNRs, the detection of a $γ$-ray signal from in average 9 Galactic PeVatron SNRs is expected to result from the scan of the Galactic plane with CTA after 10 hours of exposure. CTA is also shown to have excellent potential to confirm these sources as PeVatrons in deep observations with $\mathcal{O}(100)$ hours of exposure per source.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2023

VERITAS and Fermi-LAT constraints on the Gamma-ray Emission from Superluminous Supernovae SN2015bn and SN2017egm

Superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) are a rare class of stellar explosions with luminosities ~10-100 times greater than ordinary core-collapse supernovae. One popular model to explain the enhanced optical output of hydrogen-poor (Type I) SLSNe invokes energy injection from a rapidly spinning magnetar. A prediction in this case is that high-energy gamma rays, generated in the wind nebula of the magnetar, could escape through the expanding supernova ejecta at late times (months or more after optical peak). This paper presents a search for gamma-ray emission in the broad energy band from 100 MeV to 30 TeV from two Type I SLSNe, SN2015bn, and SN2017egm, using observations from Fermi-LAT and VERITAS. Although no gamma-ray emission was detected from either source, the derived upper limits approach the putative magnetar's spin-down luminosity. Prospects are explored for detecting very-high-energy (VHE; 100 GeV - 100 TeV) emission from SLSNe-I with existing and planned facilities such as VERITAS and CTA.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2022

The first days of type II-P core collapse supernovae in the gamma-ray range

Type II-P supernovæ~(SNe), the most common core-collapse SNe type, result from the explosions of red supergiant stars. Their detection in the radio domain testifies of the presence of relativistic electrons, and shows that they are potentially efficient energetic particle accelerators. If hadrons can also be accelerated, these energetic particles are expected to interact with the surrounding medium to produce a gamma-ray signal even in the multi--TeV range. The intensity of this signal depends on various factors, but an essential one is the density of the circumstellar medium. Such a signal should however be limited by electron-positron pair production arising from the interaction of the gamma-ray photons with optical photons emitted by the supernova photosphere, which can potentially degrade the gamma-ray signal by over ten orders of magnitude in the first days/weeks following the explosion. We calculate the gamma-gamma opacity from a detailed modelling of the time evolution of the forward shock and supernova photosphere, taking a full account of the non-isotropy of the photon interactions. We discuss the time-dependent gamma-ray TeV emission from type II-P SNe as a function of the stellar progenitor radius and mass-loss rate, as well as the explosion energy and mass of the ejected material. We evaluate the detectability of the SNe with the next generation of Cherenkov telescopes. We find that, while most extragalactic events may be undetectable, type II-P SNe exploding in our Galaxy or in the Magellanic Clouds should be detected by gamma-ray observatories such as the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2020

Stochastic re-acceleration and magnetic-field damping in Tycho's supernova remnant

A number of studies suggest that shock acceleration with particle feedback and very efficient magnetic-field amplification combined with Alfvénic drift are needed to explain the rather soft radio spectrum and the narrow rims observed for Tycho's SNR. We show that the broadband spectrum of Tycho's SNR can alternatively be well explained when accounting for stochastic acceleration as a secondary process. The re-acceleration of particles in the turbulent region immediately downstream of the shock should be efficient enough to impact particle spectra over several decades in energy. The so-called Alfvénic drift and particle feedback on the shock structure are not required in this scenario. Additionally, we investigate whether synchrotron losses or magnetic-field damping play a more profound role in the formation of the non-thermal filaments. We solve the full particle transport equation in test-particle mode using hydrodynamic simulations of the SNR plasma flow. The background magnetic field is either computed from the induction equation or follows analytic profiles, depending on the model considered. Fast-mode waves in the downstream region provide the diffusion of particles in momentum space. We show that the broadband spectrum of Tycho can be well explained if magnetic-field damping and stochastic re-acceleration of particles are taken into account. Although not as efficient as standard DSA, stochastic acceleration leaves its imprint on the particle spectra, which is especially notable in the emission at radio wavelengths. We find a lower limit for the post-shock magnetic-field strength $\sim330\,\mathrm{μG}$, implying efficient amplification even for the magnetic-field damping scenario. For the formation of the filaments in the radio range magnetic-field damping is necessary, while the X-ray filaments are shaped by both the synchrotron losses and magnetic-field damping.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2020

Evidence for proton acceleration up to TeV energies based on VERITAS and Fermi-LAT observations of the Cas A SNR

We present a study of $γ$-ray emission from the core-collapse supernova remnant Cas~A in the energy range from 0.1GeV to 10TeV. We used 65 hours of VERITAS data to cover 200 GeV - 10 TeV, and 10.8 years of \textit{Fermi}-LAT data to cover 0.1-500 GeV. The spectral analysis of \textit{Fermi}-LAT data shows a significant spectral curvature around $1.3 \pm 0.4_{stat}$ GeV that is consistent with the expected spectrum from pion decay. Above this energy, the joint spectrum from \textit{Fermi}-LAT and VERITAS deviates significantly from a simple power-law, and is best described by a power-law with spectral index of $2.17\pm 0.02_{stat}$ with a cut-off energy of $2.3 \pm 0.5_{stat}$ TeV. These results, along with radio, X-ray and $γ$-ray data, are interpreted in the context of leptonic and hadronic models. Assuming a one-zone model, we exclude a purely leptonic scenario and conclude that proton acceleration up to at least 6 TeV is required to explain the observed $γ$-ray spectrum. From modeling of the entire multi-wavelength spectrum, a minimum magnetic field inside the remnant of $B_{\mathrm{min}}\approx150\,\mathrm{μG}$ is deduced.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2019

The Exceptional X-ray Evolution of SN1996cr in High Resolution

We present X-ray spectra spanning 18 years of evolution for SN\,1996cr, one of the five nearest SNe detected in the modern era. {\it Chandra} HETG exposures in 2000, 2004, and 2009 allow us to resolve spectrally the velocity profiles of Ne, Mg, Si, S, and Fe emission lines and monitor their evolution as tracers of the ejecta-circumstellar medium (CSM) interaction. To explain the diversity of X-ray line profiles, we explore several possible geometrical models. Based on the highest signal-to-noise 2009 epoch, we find that a polar geometry with two distinct opening angle configurations and internal obscuration can successfully reproduce all of the observed line profiles. The best fit model consists of two plasma components: (1) a mildly absorbed (2$\times$10$^{21}$\,cm$^{-2}$), cooler ($\approx$2\,keV) with high Ne, Mg, Si, and S abundances associated with a wide polar interaction region (half-opening angle $\approx$58$^{\circ}$); (2) a moderately absorbed (2$\times$10$^{22}$\,cm$^{-2}$), hotter (>~20\,keV) plasma with high Fe abundances and strong internal obscuration associated with a narrow polar interaction region (half-opening angle $\approx$20$^{\circ}$). We extend this model to seven further epochs with lower signal-to-noise ratio and/or lower spectral-resolution between 2000-2018, yielding several interesting trends in absorption, flux, geometry and expansion velocity. We argue that the hotter and colder components are associated with reflected and forward shocks, respectively, at least at later epochs. We discuss the physical implications of our results and plausible explosion scenarios to understand the X-ray data of SN\,1996cr.

astro-ph.SR↗
arXiv2017

Gamma-ray observations of Tycho's SNR with VERITAS and Fermi

High-energy gamma-ray emission from supernova remnants (SNRs) has provided a unique perspective for studies of Galactic cosmic-ray acceleration. Tycho's SNR is a particularly good target because it is a young, type Ia SNR that is well-studied over a wide range of energies and located in a relatively clean environment. Since the detection of gamma-ray emission from Tycho's SNR by VERITAS and Fermi-LAT, there have been several theoretical models proposed to explain its broadband emission and high-energy morphology. We report on an update to the gamma-ray measurements of Tycho's SNR with 147 hours of VERITAS and 84 months of Fermi-LAT observations, which represents about a factor of two increase in exposure over previously published data. About half of the VERITAS data benefited from a camera upgrade, which has made it possible to extend the TeV measurements toward lower energies. The TeV spectral index measured by VERITAS is consistent with previous results, but the expanded energy range softens a straight power-law fit. At energies higher than 400 GeV, the power-law index is $2.92 \pm 0.42_{\mathrm{stat}} \pm 0.20_{\mathrm{sys}}$. It is also softer than the spectral index in the GeV energy range, $2.14 \pm 0.09_{\mathrm{stat}} \pm 0.02_{\mathrm{sys}}$, measured by this study using Fermi--LAT data. The centroid position of the gamma-ray emission is coincident with the center of the remnant, as well as with the centroid measurement of Fermi--LAT above 1 GeV. The results are consistent with an SNR shell origin of the emission, as many models assume. The updated spectrum points to a lower maximum particle energy than has been suggested previously.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2015

Science Highlights from VERITAS

The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) is a ground-based array located at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in southern Arizona and is one of the world's most sensitive gamma-ray instruments at energies of 85 GeV to $>$30 TeV. VERITAS has a wide scientific reach that includes the study of extragalactic and Galactic objects as well as the search for astrophysical signatures of dark matter and the measurement of cosmic rays. In this paper, we will summarize the current status of the VERITAS observatory and present some of the scientific highlights from the last two years, focusing in particular on those results shown at the 2015 ICRC in The Hague, Netherlands.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2015

Analysis of GeV-band gamma-ray emission from SNR RX J1713.7-3946

RX J1713.7-3946 is the brightest shell-type Supernova remnant (SNR) of the TeV gamma-ray sky. Earlier Fermi-LAT results on low-energy gamma-ray emission suggested that, despite large uncertainties in the background determination, the spectrum is inconsistent with a hadronic origin. We update the GeV-band spectra using improved estimates for the diffuse galactic gamma-ray emission and more than doubled data volume. We further investigate the viability of hadronic emission models for RX J1713.7-3946. We produced a high-resolution map of the diffuse Galactic gamma-ray background corrected for HI self-absorption and used it in the analysis of more than 5~years worth of Fermi-LAT data. We used hydrodynamic scaling relations and a kinetic transport equation to calculate the acceleration and propagation of cosmic-rays in SNR. We then determined spectra of hadronic gamma-ray emission from RX J1713.7-3946, separately for the SNR interior and the cosmic-ray precursor region of the forward shock, and computed flux variations that would allow to test the model with observations. We find that RX J1713.7-3946 is now detected by Fermi-LAT with very high statistical significance, and the source morphology is best described by that seen in the TeV band. The measured spectrum of RX J1713.7-3946 is hard with index gamma=1.53 +/- 0.07, and the integral flux above 500 MeV is F = (5.5 +/- 1.1)e-9 photons/cm^2/s. We demonstrate that scenarios based on hadronic emission from the cosmic-ray precursor region are acceptable for RX J1713.7-3946, and we predict a secular flux increase at a few hundred GeV at the level of around 15% over 10 years, which may be detectable with the upcoming CTA observatory.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2014

Investigating the TeV Morphology of MGRO J1908+06 with VERITAS

We report on deep observations of the extended TeV gamma-ray source MGRO J1908+06 made with the VERITAS very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray observatory. Previously, the TeV emission has been attributed to the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) of the Fermi-LAT pulsar PSR J1907+0602. We detect MGRO J1908+06 at a significance level of 14 standard deviations (14 sigma) and measure a photon index of 2.20 +/- 0.10_stat +/- 0.20_sys. The TeV emission is extended, covering the region near PSR J1907+0602 and also extending towards SNR G40.5--0.5. When fitted with a 2-dimensional Gaussian, the intrinsic extension has a standard deviation of sigma_src = 0.44 +/- 0.02 degrees. In contrast to other TeV PWNe of similar age in which the TeV spectrum softens with distance from the pulsar, the TeV spectrum measured near the pulsar location is consistent with that measured at a position near the rim of G40.5--0.5, 0.33 degrees away.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2013

Discovery of TeV Gamma-ray Emission Toward Supernova Remnant SNR G78.2+2.1

We report the discovery of an unidentified, extended source of very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission, VER J2019+407, within the radio shell of the supernova remnant SNR G78.2+2.1, using 21.4 hours of data taken by the VERITAS gamma-ray observatory in 2009. These data confirm the preliminary indications of gamma-ray emission previously seen in a two-year (2007-2009) blind survey of the Cygnus region by VERITAS. VER J2019+407, which is detected at a post-trials significance of 7.5 standard deviations in the 2009 data, is localized to the northwestern rim of the remnant in a region of enhanced radio and X-ray emission. It has an intrinsic extent of 0.23^{\circ} \pm 0.03^{\circ} (stat)+0.04^{\circ}_{-0.02}^{\circ}(sys) and its spectrum is well-characterized by a differential power law (dN/dE = N_0 \times (E/TeV)^{-Γ}) with a photon index of Γ = 2.37 \pm 0.14 (stat) \pm 0.20 (sys) and a flux normalization of N0 = 1.5 \pm 0.2 (stat) \pm 0.4(sys) \times 10^-12 ph TeV^{-1} cm^{-2} s^{-1}. This yields an integral flux of 5.2 \pm 0.8 (stat) \pm 1.4 (sys) \times 10^-12 ph cm^{-2} s^{-1} above 320 GeV, corresponding to 3.7% of the Crab Nebula flux. We consider the relationship of the TeV gamma-ray emission with the GeV gamma-ray emission seen from SNR G78.2+2.1 as well as that seen from a nearby cocoon of freshly accelerated cosmic rays. Multiple scenarios are considered as possible origins for the TeV gamma-ray emission, including hadronic particle acceleration at the supernova remnant shock.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2013

Acceleration of cosmic rays by young core-collapse supernova remnants

Context. Supernova remnants (SNRs) are thought to be the primary candidates for the sources of Galactic cosmic rays. According to the diffusive shock acceleration theory, SNR shocks produce a power-law spectrum with an index of s = 2, perhaps nonlinearly modified to harder spectra at high energy. Observations of SNRs often indicate particle spectra that are softer than that and show features not expected from classical theory. Known drawbacks of the standard approach are the assumption that SNRs evolve in a uniform environment, and that the reverse shock does not accelerate particles. Relaxing these assumptions increases the complexity of the problem, because one needs reliable hydrodynamical data for the plasma flow as well as good estimates for the magnetic field (MF) at the reverse shock. Aims. We show that these two factors are especially important when modeling young core-collapse SNRs that evolve in a complicated circumstellar medium shaped by the winds of progenitor stars. Methods. We used high-resolution numerical simulations for the hydrodynamical evolution of the SNR. Instead of parametrizations of the MF profiles inside the SNR, we followed the advection of the frozen-in MF inside the SNR, and thus obtained the B-field value at all locations, in particular at the reverse shock. To model cosmic-ray acceleration we solved the cosmic-ray transport equation in test-particle approximation. Results. We find that the complex plasma-flow profiles of core-collapse SNRs significantly modify the particle spectra. Additionally, the reverse shock strongly affects the emission spectra and the surface brightness.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2013

Performing a stellar autopsy using the radio-bright remnant of SN 1996cr

We present archival radio observations of SN1996cr from ATCA and MOST, and model its radio lightcurves using X-ray constrained hydrodynamical simulations of the interaction between the SN ejecta and the CSM. The early radio data show signs of free-free absorption (FFA), which decreases gradually and is minimal above 1.4 GHz after day ~3000. FFA optical depth constraints provide estimates of the CSM free electron density, which allows insight into the ionisation of SN1996cr's CSM and offers a test on the density distribution adopted by the hydrodynamical simulation. The intrinsic spectral index of the radiation shows evidence for spectral flattening, which is characterised by alpha = 0.852 +/- 0.002 at day 3000 and a decay rate of d_alpha = -0.014 +/- 0.001 yr^-1. The similarity in the spectral flattening of SN1987A, SN1993J, and SN1996cr suggests this may be a relatively common feature of SNe/CSM shocks. We adopt this spectral index variation to model the synchrotron radio emission of the shock, and consider several scalings that relate the parameters of the hydrodynamical simulation to the magnetic field and electron distribution. The simulated light curves match the large-scale features of the observed light curves, but fail to match certain tightly constraining sections. This suggests that simple energy density scalings may not be able to account for the complexities of the true physical processes at work, or alternatively, that the parameters of the simulation require modification in order to accurately represent SN1996cr's CSM.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2012

Discovery of TeV Gamma-ray Emission from CTA 1 by VERITAS

We report the discovery of TeV gamma-ray emission coincident with the shell-type radio supernova remnant (SNR) CTA 1 using the VERITAS gamma-ray observatory. The source, VER J0006+729, was detected as a 6.5 standard deviation excess over background and shows an extended morphology, approximated by a two-dimensional Gaussian of semi-major (semi-minor) axis 0.30 degree (0.24 degree) and a centroid 5' from the Fermi gamma-ray pulsar PSR J0007+7303 and its X-ray pulsar wind nebula (PWN). The photon spectrum is well described by a power-law dN/dE = N_0 (E/3 TeV)^(-Γ), with a differential spectral index of Γ= 2.2 +- 0.2_stat +- 0.3_sys, and normalization N_0 = (9.1 +- 1.3_stat +- 1.7_sys) x 10^(-14) cm^(-2) s^(-1) TeV^(-1). The integral flux, F_γ= 4.0 x 10^(-12) erg cm^(-2) s^(-1) above 1 TeV, corresponds to 0.2% of the pulsar spin-down power at 1.4 kpc. The energetics, co-location with the SNR, and the relatively small extent of the TeV emission strongly argue for the PWN origin of the TeV photons. We consider the origin of the TeV emission in CTA 1.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2012

On the Evolution of the Maximum Energy of Accelerated Particles in Young Supernova Remnants

It has generally been assumed in the literature that while young supernova remnants (SNRs) accelerate particles even in the early stages, the particles do not escape until the start of the Sedov-Taylor or adiabatic stage, when the maximum energy of accelerated particles is reached. These calculations however do not take into account the detailed hydrodynamical expansion in the ejecta-dominated stage, and the approach to the Sedov stage. Using analytic approximations, we explore different environments in which the SNR may evolve, and investigate how the maximum energy to which particles are accelerated, and its time evolution, depends on various parameters. We take into account the ambient magnetic field and its amplification by resonant or non-resonant modes. Our studies reveal that the maximum energy to which particles are accelerated is generally reached in the ejecta-dominated stage, much before the start of Sedov stage. For SNe evolving within the winds of their massive stars, the maximum energy is reached very early in the evolution. We briefly explore the consequences for supernova remnants expanding in surroundings such as wind-bubbles or superbubbles.

astro-ph.HE↗