arXiv subjects

Wasundara Athukoralalage

Publications and source records attributed to Wasundara Athukoralalage.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The Local Origin of a Host Dispersion Measure-Stellar Mass Relation in Fast Radio Bursts

The origin of fast radio bursts (FRBs) and the relationship to their host galaxy environments remain open questions. Using a sample of 37 FRBs with secure host associations at $z \lesssim 0.25$, and including dwarf, elliptical, and edge-on hosts, we examine the host dispersion measure ($\mathrm{DM_{host}}$) and its dependence on host stellar mass ($M_\star$). We find a statistically significant anti-correlation between the host dispersion measure and host stellar mass (the $\mathrm{DM_{host}}$-$M_\star$ relation; Pearson $r \approx -0.5$, $\log_{10} p \approx -2.8$) that extends across the full range of our sample, $\log_{10}(M_\star/M_\odot) \approx 8$-$11.4$. We find that the rest-frame Faraday rotation measure ($|\mathrm{RM}|_{\mathrm{host}}$) is largest in FRBs that reside in dwarf galaxies, but there is no evidence for a correlation across the full mass range. We show that the $\mathrm{DM_{host}}$-$M_\star$ trend does not arise from the galaxy-averaged interstellar medium (ISM) nor from the circumgalactic medium (CGM). Instead, we argue that the local ($\lesssim 100$ pc) environment is responsible. The spatial statistics of star formation and metallicity-dependent FRB progenitor channels plausibly lead to denser ionized environments in low-mass galaxies and less nearby gas in massive hosts.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

Type IIn Supernovae. I. Uniform Light-curve Characterization and a Bimodality in the Radiated Energy Distribution

We present the largest uniform study to date of Type IIn supernovae (SNe IIn), focusing in this first paper on the multiband optical light curves of 490 SNe IIn. The sample, constructed from multiple surveys, extends to $z\approx0.8$, with the majority of events at $z\lesssim0.3$. We construct uniform multiband and bolometric light curves using Gaussian process regression, and determine key observed properties in the rest frame (e.g., peak luminosity, timescales, radiated energy). We find that SNe IIn span broad ranges in peak luminosity ($\sim 10^{42}-10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$) and timescales ($\sim 20-300$ days above 50% of peak luminosity), but the sample divides into two clear groups in the luminosity-timescale phase space around the median peak luminosity ($\approx 10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$): faint-fast and luminous-slow groups. This leads to a strong bimodality in the radiated energy distribution, with peaks at $\sim 10^{49}$ and $\sim 2\times10^{50}$ erg, with the latter events having a characteristic timescale of $\sim 100$ days, and the former appearing to bifurcate into two branches with timescales of $\sim 40$ and $\sim 70$ days. Therefore, SNe IIn exhibit at least two dominant groupings, and perhaps three, which are likely reflective of different progenitor and/or circumstellar medium (CSM) formation pathways. We do not find any obvious transition in SN IIn properties at the arbitrary cutoff of $\approx -20$ mag used for the designation "Type IIn Superluminous Supernovae" or "SLSN-IIn," and we argue that this classification should be abandoned. The absence of SNe IIn with timescales of $\lesssim 15$ days defines the region occupied by fast transients with evidence for interaction with a hydrogen-poor CSM.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

SN 2024afav: A Superluminous Supernova with Multiple Light Curve Bumps and Spectroscopic Signatures of Circumstellar Interaction

We present a comprehensive optical and near-infrared spectroscopic study of SN 2024afav - a hydrogen-poor superluminous supernova (SLSN-I) that peaks at $\approx$ -20.7 mag and exhibits an unusual multi-bumped light curve. Our spectroscopic observations, spanning phases of -14 to +160 d, reveal several unusual features: (i) a narrow (1,800 km s$^{-1}$) and blueshifted (11,000 km s$^{-1}$) absorption from H$α$ starting at +20 d; (ii) persistent optical and NIR He I lines at all available phases, showing double absorption structure in NIR spectra at +23 d, with a high velocity component at a similar velocity to H$α$; (iii) early appearance of nebular [O III] emission starting at $\approx$ +50 d; and (iv) strong [O II] + [Ca II] 7300 Å emission complex starting at $\approx$ +110 d. These unusual features, and their onset at the time of the light curve bumps, provide compelling evidence of circumstellar interaction between the SN ejecta and a nearby hydrogen-rich shell, as well as the presence of helium in both the outer layers of the progenitor star and in the circumstellar medium. A comparison of SN 2024afav to other SLSNe-I showing bumpy light curves and similar spectral properties (PTF10hgi, SN 2017egm, SN 2019hge), points to a rare sub-group of SLSNe-I in which CSM interaction provides an important modulation to the energy input.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Monitoring Observations of SMC X-1's Excursions (MOOSE) III: X-ray Spectroscopy of a Warped, Precessing Accretion Disc

The MOOSE (Monitoring Observations of SMC X-1 Excursions) program uses the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer Mission (NICER) to monitor the high mass X-ray binary SMC X-1 during its superorbital period excursions. Here we perform X-ray spectral analyses of 26 NICER observations of SMC X-1, taken at the tail-end of the excursion between 2021-04-01 and 2022-01-05. We use a single spectral model to fit spectra observed in high, intermediate and low states, using a combination of a partial covering fraction model, a black-body disc, and a power-law component. We find that the partial covering fraction varies significantly with the superorbital state during superorbital excursion. Our findings suggest that the low/high state in SMC X-1 is caused by a very high obscuration of the accretion disk.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

The Type I Superluminous Supernova Catalog I: Light Curve Properties, Models, and Catalog Description

We present the most comprehensive catalog to date of Type I Superluminous Supernovae (SLSNe), a class of stripped envelope supernovae (SNe) characterized by exceptionally high luminosities. We have compiled a sample of 262 SLSNe reported through 2022 December 31. We verified the spectroscopic classification of each SLSN and collated an exhaustive data set of UV, optical and IR photometry from both publicly available data and our own FLEET observational follow-up program, totaling over 30,000 photometric detections. Using these data we derive observational parameters such as the peak absolute magnitudes, rise and decline timescales, as well as bolometric luminosities, temperature and photospheric radius evolution for all SLSNe. Additionally, we model all light curves using a hybrid model that includes contributions from both a magnetar central engine and the radioactive decay of $^{56}$Ni. We explore correlations among various physical and observational parameters, and recover the previously found relation between ejecta mass and magnetar spin, as well as the overall progenitor pre-explosion mass distribution with a peak at $\approx 6.5$ M$_\odot$. We find no significant redshift dependence for any parameter, and no evidence for distinct sub-types of SLSNe. We find that $< 3$\% of SLSNe are best fit with a significant contribution from radioactive decay $\gtrsim 50$\%, representing a set of relatively dim and slowly declining SNe. We provide several analytical tools designed to simulate typical SLSN light curves across a broad range of wavelengths and phases, enabling accurate K-corrections, bolometric scaling calculations, and inclusion of SLSNe in survey simulations or future comparison works. The complete catalog, including all of the photometry, models, and derived parameters, is made available as an open-source resource on GitHub.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

An Extreme Ultra-Compact X-ray Binary in a Globular Cluster: Multi-Wavelength Observations of RZ2109 Explored in a Triple System Framework

The globular cluster ultraluminous X-ray source, RZ2109, is a complex and unique system which has been detected at X-ray, ultra-violet, and optical wavelengths. Based on almost 20 years of Chandra and XMM-Newton observations, the X-ray luminosity exhibits order-of-magnitude variability, with the peak flux lasting on the order of a few hours. We perform robust time series analysis on the archival X-ray observations and find that this variability is periodic on a timescale of 1.3 $\pm 0.04$ days. The source also demonstrates broad [OIII] 5007 Angstrom emission, which has been observed since 2004, suggesting a white dwarf donor and therefore an ultra-compact X-ray binary. We present new spectra from 2020 and 2022, marking eighteen years of observed [OIII] emission from this source. Meanwhile, we find that the globular cluster counterpart is unusually bright in the NUV/UVW2 band. Finally, we discuss RZ2109 in the context of the eccentric Kozai Lidov mechanism and show that the observed 1.3 day periodicity can be used to place constraints on the tertiary configuration, ranging from 20 minutes (for a 0.1 ${\rm M}_\odot$ companion) to approximately 95 minutes (for a 1 ${\rm M}_\odot$ companion), if the eccentric Kozai Lidov mechanism is at the origin of the periodic variability.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Monitoring observations of SMC X-1's excursions (MOOSE)-II: A new excursion accompanies spin-up acceleration

SMC X-1 is a high-mass X-ray binary showing superorbital modulation with an unstable period. Previous monitoring shows three excursion events in 1996--1998, 2005--2007, and 2014--2016. The superorbital period drifts from >60 days to <40 days and then evolves back during an excursion. Here we report a new excursion event of SMC X-1 in 2020--2021, indicating that the superorbital modulation has an unpredictable, chaotic nature. We trace the spin-period evolution and find that the spin-up rate accelerated one year before the onset of this new excursion, which suggests a possible inside-out process connecting the spin-up acceleration and the superorbital excursion. This results in a deviation of the spin period residual, similar to the behaviour of the first excursion in 1996--1998. In further analysis of the pulse profile evolution, we find that the pulsed fraction shows a long-term evolution and may be connected to the superorbital excursion. These discoveries deepen the mystery of SMC X-1 because they cannot be solely interpreted by the warped disc model. Upcoming pointed observations and theoretical studies may improve our understanding of the detailed accretion mechanisms taking place.

astro-ph.HE↗