Engineering topics

Waxman, Eli

Publications and source records attributed to Waxman, Eli.

12 records

DOE OSTI2020

SN 2018fif: The Explosion of a Large Red Supergiant Discovered in Its Infancy by the Zwicky Transient Facility

High-cadence transient surveys are able to capture supernovae closer to their first light than ever before. Applying analytical models to such early emission, we can constrain the progenitor stars' properties. Here, we present observations of SN 2018fif (ZTF 18abokyfk). The supernova was discovered close to first light and monitored by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. Early spectroscopic observations suggest that the progenitor of SN 2018fif was surrounded by relatively small amounts of circumstellar material compared to all previous cases. This particularity, coupled with the high-cadence multiple-band coverage, makes it a good candidate to investigate using shock-cooling models. We employ the SOPRANOS code, an implementation of the model by Sapir & Waxman and its extension to early times by Morag et al. Compared with previous implementations, SOPRANOS has the advantage of including a careful account of the limited temporal validity domain of the shock-cooling model as well as allowing usage of the entirety of the early UV data. We find that the progenitor of SN 2018fif was a large red supergiant with a radius of $R={744.0}_{-128.0}^{+183.0}\,{R}_{\odot }$ and an ejected mass of ${M}_{\mathrm{ej}}={9.3}_{-5.8}^{+0.4}\,{M}_{\odot }$. Our model also gives information on the explosion epoch, the progenitor's inner structure, the shock velocity, and the extinction. The distribution of radii is double-peaked, with smaller radii corresponding to lower values of the extinction, earlier recombination times, and a better match to the early UV data. If these correlations persist in future objects, denser spectroscopic monitoring constraining the time of recombination, as well as accurate UV observations (e.g., with ULTRASAT), will help break the extinction/radius degeneracy and independently determine both.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2019

Supernova PTF 12glz: A Possible Shock Breakout Driven through an Aspherical Wind

We present visible-light and ultraviolet (UV) observations of the supernova PTF 12glz. The SN was discovered and monitored in the near-UV and R bands as part of a joint GALEX and Palomar Transient Factory campaign. It is among the most energetic SNe IIn observed to date (≈1051 erg). If the radiated energy mainly came from the thermalization of the shock kinetic energy, we show that PTF 12glz was surrounded by ~1 M ⊙ of circumstellar material (CSM) prior to its explosive death. PTF 12glz shows a puzzling peculiarity: at early times, while the freely expanding ejecta are presumably masked by the optically thick CSM, the radius of the blackbody that best fits the observations grows at ≈7000 km s –1 . Such a velocity is characteristic of fast moving ejecta rather than optically thick CSM. This phase of radial expansion takes place before any spectroscopic signature of expanding ejecta appears in the spectrum and while both the spectroscopic data and the bolometric luminosity seem to indicate that the CSM is optically thick. We propose a geometrical solution to this puzzle, involving an aspherical structure of the CSM around PTF 12glz. By modeling radiative diffusion through a slab of CSM, we show that an aspherical geometry of the CSM can result in a growing effective radius. Furthermore, this simple model also allows us to recover the decreasing blackbody temperature of PTF 12glz. SLAB-Diffusion, the code we wrote to model the radiative diffusion of photons through a slab of CSM and evaluate the observed radius and temperature, is made available online.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Preliminary Evidence for a Virial Shock around the Coma Galaxy Cluster

Galaxy clusters, the largest gravitationally bound objects in the universe, are thought to grow by accreting mass from their surroundings through large-scale virial shocks. Due to electron acceleration in such a shock, it should appear as a γ-ray, hard X-ray, and radio ring, elongated toward the large-scale filaments feeding the cluster, coincident with a cutoff in the thermal Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ) signal. However, no such signature was found until now, and the very existence of cluster virial shocks has remained a theory. We find preliminary evidence for a large γ-ray ring of ∼5 Mpc minor axis around the Coma cluster, elongated toward the large-scale filament connecting Coma and Abell 1367, detected at the nominal 2.7σ confidence level (5.1σ using control signal simulations). The γ-ray ring correlates both with a synchrotron signal and with the SZ cutoff, but not with Galactic tracers. The γ-ray and radio signatures agree with analytic and numerical predictions if the shock deposits ∼1% of the thermal energy in relativistic electrons over a Hubble time and ∼1% in magnetic fields. The implied inverse Compton and synchrotron cumulative emission from similar shocks can contribute significantly to the diffuse extragalactic γ-ray and low-frequency radio backgrounds. Our results, if confirmed, reveal the prolate structure of the hot gas in Coma, the feeding pattern of the cluster, and properties of the surrounding large-scale voids and filaments. The anticipated detection of such shocks around other clusters would provide a powerful new cosmological probe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

On the Origin of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs)

We derive stringent constraints on the persistent source associated with FRB 121102: size 0.3<R{sub 17.5} =(R/10{sup 17.5} cm)<3, age <10{sup 2.5} year, energy E≈10{sup 49}(ε{sub e}/0.2GeV){sup 3} erg, characteristic electron energy 0.1⩽ε{sub e}/1 GeV⩽0.5; the radiating plasma is confined by a cold plasma of mass M{sub c}<10{sup −1.5}R{sub 17.5}{sup 4} M{sub ⊙}; these properties are inconsistent with typical “magnetar wind nebulae” model predictions. The fact that ε{sub e}∼m{sub p}c{sup 2} suggests that the hot plasma was created by the ejection of a mildly relativistic, M≈E/c{sup 2}≈10{sup −5} M{sub ⊙} shell, which propagated into an extended ambient medium or collided with a pre-ejected shell. Independent of the persistent source model, we suggest a physical mechanism for the generation of fast radio bursts (FRBs): the ejection from an underlying compact object, R{sub s}=10{sup 6}R{sub s,6} cm, of highly relativistic shells with energy E{sub s}=10{sup 41}E{sub 41} erg and Lorentz factor γ{sub s}=10{sup 3}E{sub 41}{sup 1/8}R{sub s,6}{sup −3/8}, into a surrounding e − p plasma with density n∼10{sup −1} cm{sup −3} (consistent with that inferred for the persistent source). For E {sub s} similar to observed FRB energies, plasma conditions appropriate for strong synchrotron maser emission at ν{sub coh.}≈0.5E{sub 41}{sup 1/4}R{sub s,6}{sup −3/4} GHz are formed. A significant fraction of the deposited energy is converted to an FRB with duration R{sub s}/c, accompanied by ∼10 MeV gamma-rays carrying less energy than the FRB. The inferred energy and mass associated with the source suggest some type of a “weak stellar explosion,” where a neutron star is formed with relatively low mass and energy ejection. However, the current upper limit on R does not allow one to rule out M{sub c}∼1 M{sub ⊙}, or the ejection of a larger mass well before the ejection of the confining shell.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2017

UV/Optical Emission from the Expanding Envelopes of Type II Supernovae

The early part of a supernova (SN) light curve is dominated by radiation escaping from the expanding shock-heated progenitor envelope. For polytropic hydrogen envelopes, the properties of the emitted radiation are described by simple analytic expressions and are nearly independent of the polytropic index, n. This analytic description holds at early time, t < few days, during which radiation escapes from shells that are initially lying near the stellar surface. We use numerical solutions to address two issues. First, we show that the analytic description holds at early time also for nonpolytropic density profiles. Second, we extend the solutions to later times, when the emission emerges from deep within the envelope and depends on the progenitor’s density profile. Examining the late time behavior of the polytropic envelopes with a wide range of core to envelope mass and radius ratios, 0.1 ≤ M {sub c}/M {sub env} ≤ 10 and 10{sup −3} ≤ R {sub c}/R ≤ 10{sup −1}, we find that the effective temperature is well described by the analytic solution also at late time, while the luminosity, L, is suppressed by a factor, which may be approximated to be better than a 20 [30]% accuracy up to t = t {sub tr}/a by Aexp [−(at/t{sub tr}){sup α}] with t {sub tr} = 13 (M {sub env}/M {sub ⊙}){sup 3/4}(M/M {sub env}){sup 1/4}(E/10{sup 51}erg){sup −1/4} days, M = M {sub c} + M {sub env}, A = 0.9[0.8], a = 1.7[4.6], and α = 0.8[0.7] for n = 3/2[3]. This description holds as long as the opacity is approximately that of a fully ionized gas, i.e., for T > 0.7 eV, t < 14(R/10{sup 13.5}cm){sup 0.55} days. The suppression of L at t {sub tr}/a that is obtained for standard polytropic envelopes may account for the first optical peak of double-peaked SN light curves, with the first peak at a few days for M {sub env} < 1 M {sub ⊙}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

THE DETECTION RATE OF EARLY UV EMISSION FROM SUPERNOVAE: A DEDICATED GALEX/PTF SURVEY AND CALIBRATED THEORETICAL ESTIMATES

The radius and surface composition of an exploding massive star, as well as the explosion energy per unit mass, can be measured using early UV observations of core-collapse supernovae (SNe). We present the first results from a simultaneous GALEX/PTF search for early ultraviolet (UV) emission from SNe. Six SNe II and one Type II superluminous SN (SLSN-II) are clearly detected in the GALEX near-UV (NUV) data. We compare our detection rate with theoretical estimates based on early, shock-cooling UV light curves calculated from models that fit existing Swift and GALEX observations well, combined with volumetric SN rates. We find that our observations are in good agreement with calculated rates assuming that red supergiants (RSGs) explode with fiducial radii of 500 R{sub ⊙}, explosion energies of 10{sup 51} erg, and ejecta masses of 10 M{sub ⊙}. Exploding blue supergiants and Wolf–Rayet stars are poorly constrained. We describe how such observations can be used to derive the progenitor radius, surface composition, and explosion energy per unit mass of such SN events, and we demonstrate why UV observations are critical for such measurements. We use the fiducial RSG parameters to estimate the detection rate of SNe during the shock-cooling phase (<1 day after explosion) for several ground-based surveys (PTF, ZTF, and LSST). We show that the proposed wide-field UV explorer ULTRASAT mission is expected to find >85 SNe per year (∼0.5 SN per deg{sup 2}), independent of host galaxy extinction, down to an NUV detection limit of 21.5 mag AB. Our pilot GALEX/PTF project thus convincingly demonstrates that a dedicated, systematic SN survey at the NUV band is a compelling method to study how massive stars end their life.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

CONSTRAINTS ON THE SOURCE OF ULTRA-HIGH-ENERGY COSMIC RAYS USING ANISOTROPY VERSUS CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

The joint analysis of anisotropy signals and chemical composition of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays offers strong potential for shedding light on the sources of these particles. Following up on an earlier idea, this paper studies the anisotropies produced by protons of energy >E/Z, assuming that anisotropies at energy >E have been produced by nuclei of charge Z, which share the same magnetic rigidity. We calculate the number of secondary protons produced through photodisintegration of the primary heavy nuclei. Making the extreme assumption that the source does not inject any proton, we find that the source(s) responsible for anisotropies such as reported by the Pierre Auger Observatory should lie closer than ∼20-30, 80-100, and 180-200 Mpc if the anisotropy signal is mainly composed of oxygen, silicon, and iron nuclei, respectively. A violation of this constraint would otherwise result in the secondary protons forming a more significant anisotropy signal at lower energies. Even if the source were located closer than this distance, it would require an extraordinary metallicity ∼> 120, 1600, and 1100 times solar metallicity in the acceleration zone of the source, for oxygen, silicon, and iron, respectively, to ensure that the concomitantly injected protons do not produce a more significant low-energy anisotropy. This offers interesting prospects for constraining the nature and the source of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with the increase in statistics expected from next-generation detectors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2013

NON-RELATIVISTIC RADIATION MEDIATED SHOCK BREAKOUTS. III. SPECTRAL PROPERTIES OF SUPERNOVA SHOCK BREAKOUT

The spectrum of radiation emitted following shock breakout from a star's surface with a power-law density profile {rho}{proportional_to}x{sup n} is investigated. Assuming planar geometry, local Compton equilibrium, and bremsstrahlung emission as the dominant photon production mechanism, numerical solutions are obtained for the photon number density and temperature profiles as a function of time for hydrogen-helium envelopes. The temperature solutions are determined by the breakout shock velocity v{sub 0} and the pre-shock breakout density {rho}{sub 0} and depend weakly on the value of n. Fitting formulae for the peak surface temperature at breakout as a function of v{sub 0} and {rho}{sub 0} are provided, with T{sub peak} approx. 9.44 exp [12.63(v{sub 0}/c){sup 1/2}] eV, and the time dependence of the surface temperature is tabulated. The time integrated emitted spectrum is a robust prediction of the model, determined by T{sub peak} and v{sub 0} alone and insensitive to details of light travel time or slight deviations from spherical symmetry. Adopting commonly assumed progenitor parameters, breakout luminosities of Almost-Equal-To 10{sup 45} erg s{sup -1} and Almost-Equal-To 10{sup 44} erg s{sup -1} in the 0.3-10 keV band are expected for blue supergiant (BSG) and red supergiant (RSG)/He-WR progenitors, respectively (T{sub peak} is well below the band for RSGs, unless their radius is {approx}10{sup 13} cm). >30 detections of SN 1987A-like (BSG) breakouts are expected over the lifetime of ROSAT and XMM-Newton. An absence of such detections would imply either that the typical parameters assumed for BSG progenitors are grossly incorrect or that their envelopes are not hydrostatic. The observed spectrum and duration of XRF 080109/SN 2008D are in tension with a non-relativistic breakout from a stellar surface interpretation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2013

A search for correlation of ultra-high energy cosmic rays with IRAS-PSCz and 2MASS-6dF galaxies

We study the arrival directions of 69 ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) observed at the Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO) with energies exceeding 55 EeV. We investigate whether the UHECRs exhibit the anisotropy signal expected if the primary particles are protons that originate in galaxies in the local universe, or in sources correlated with these galaxies. We cross-correlate the UHECR arrival directions with the positions of IRAS-PSCz and 2MASS-6dF galaxies taking into account particle energy losses during propagation. This is the first time that the 6dF survey is used in a search for the sources of UHECRs and the first time that the PSCz survey is used with the full 69 PAO events. The observed cross-correlation signal is larger for the PAO UHECRs than for 94% (98%) of realisations from an isotropic distribution when cross-correlated with the PSCz (6dF). On the other hand the observed cross-correlation signal is lower than that expected from ∼>85% of realisations, had the UHECRs originated in galaxies in either survey. The observed cross-correlation signal does exceed that expected by 50% of the realisations if the UHECRs are randomly deflected by intervening magnetic fields by 5° or more. We propose a new method of analysing the expected anisotropy signal, by dividing the predicted UHECR source distribution into equal predicted flux radial shells, which can help localise and constrain the properties of UHECR sources. We find that the 69 PAO events are consistent with isotropy in the nearest of three shells we define, whereas there is weak evidence for correlation with the predicted source distribution in the two more distant shells in which the galaxy distribution is less anisotropic.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

EARLY EMISSION FROM TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE

A unique feature of deflagration-to-detonation (DDT) white dwarf explosion models of supernovae of type Ia is the presence of a strong shock wave propagating through the outer envelope. We consider the early emission expected in such models, which is produced by the expanding shock-heated outer part of the ejecta and precedes the emission driven by radioactive decay. We expand on earlier analyses by considering the modification of the pre-detonation density profile by the weak shocks generated during the deflagration phase, the time evolution of the opacity, and the deviation of the post-shock equation of state from that obtained for radiation pressure domination. A simple analytic model is presented and shown to provide an acceptable approximation to the results of one-dimensional numerical DDT simulations. Our analysis predicts a {approx}10{sup 3} s long UV/optical flash with a luminosity of {approx}1 to {approx}3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 39} erg s{sup -1}. Lower luminosity corresponds to faster (turbulent) deflagration velocity. The luminosity of the UV flash is predicted to be strongly suppressed at t > t{sub drop} {approx} 1 hr due to the deviation from pure radiation domination.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

IMPLODING IGNITION WAVES. I. ONE-DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS

We show that converging spherical and cylindrical shock waves may ignite a detonation wave in a combustible medium, provided the radius at which the shocks become strong exceeds a critical radius, R{sub crit}. An approximate analytic expression for R{sub crit} is derived for an ideal gas equation of state and a simple (power-law-Arrhenius) reaction law, and shown to reproduce the results of numerical solutions. For typical acetylene-air experiments we find R{sub crit} {approx} 100 {mu}m (spherical) and R{sub crit} {approx} 1 mm (cylindrical). We suggest that the deflagration to detonation transition (DDT) observed in these systems may be due to converging shocks produced by the turbulent deflagration flow, which reaches sub- (but near) sonic velocities on scales >>R{sub crit}. Our suggested mechanism differs from that proposed by Zel'dovich et al., in which a fine-tuned spatial gradient in the chemical induction time is required to be maintained within the turbulent deflagration flow. Our analysis may be readily extended to more complicated equations of state and reaction laws. An order of magnitude estimate of R{sub crit} within a white dwarf at the pre-detonation conditions believed to lead to Type Ia supernova explosions is 0.1 km, suggesting that our proposed mechanism may be relevant for DDT initiation in these systems. The relevance of our proposed ignition mechanism to DDT initiation may be tested by both experiments and numerical simulations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1994

Stability of fireballs and gamma-ray bursts

Fireballs are an essential part of any cosmological gamma-ray burst. We derive a stability criterion for fireballs and show that fireballs are Rayleigh-Taylor unstable in any region in which the entropy decreases outward. The instability begins to operate when the fireball becomes matter dominated. Among the possible implications of the instability are the following: (1) Conversion of a fraction of the radiation energy to a convective energy expressed in the motion of bubbles relative to each other. (2) Penetration of fast bubbles through slower ones and creation of high-gamma regimes which are essential for efficient conversion of the energy to gamma-rays. (3) Formation of rapid time variation (of the scale of the bubbles) in the observed gamma-rays.

Waxman, Eli↗