Browsing by Author "Cenko, S. B."
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- ItemA NEW POPULATION OF ULTRA-LONG DURATION GAMMA-RAY BURSTS(IOP PUBLISHING LTD, 2014) Levan, A. J.; Tanvir, N. R.; Starling, R. L. C.; Wiersema, K.; Page, K. L.; Perley, D. A.; Schulze, S.; Wynn, G. A.; Chornock, R.; Hjorth, J.; Cenko, S. B.; Fruchter, A. S.; O'Brien, P. T.; Brown, G. C.; Tunnicliffe, R. L.; Malesani, D.; Jakobsson, P.; Watson, D.; Berger, E.; Bersier, D.; Cobb, B. E.; Covino, S.; Cucchiara, A.; de Ugarte Postigo, A.; Fox, D. B.; Gal Yam, A.; Goldoni, P.; Gorosabel, J.; Kaper, L.; Kruehler, T.; Karjalainen, R.; Osborne, J. P.; Pian, E.; Sanchez Ramirez, R.; Schmidt, B.; Skillen, I.; Tagliaferri, G.; Thoene, C.; Vaduvescu, O.; Wijers, R. A. M. J.; Zauderer, B. A.We present comprehensive multiwavelength observations of three gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with durations of several thousand seconds. We demonstrate that these events are extragalactic transients; in particular, we resolve the long-standing conundrum of the distance of GRB 101225A (the "Christmas-day burst"), finding it to have a redshift z = 0.847 and showing that two apparently similar events (GRB 111209A and GRB 121027A) lie at z = 0.677 and z = 1.773, respectively. The systems show extremely unusual X-ray and optical light curves, very different from classical GRBs, with long-lasting, highly variable X-ray emission and optical light curves that exhibit little correlation with the behavior seen in the X-ray. Their host galaxies are faint, compact, and highly star-forming dwarf galaxies, typical of "blue compact galaxies." We propose that these bursts are the prototypes of a hitherto largely unrecognized population of ultra-long GRBs, which while observationally difficult to detect may be astrophysically relatively common. The long durations may naturally be explained by the engine-driven explosions of stars of much larger radii than normally considered for GRB progenitors, which are thought to have compact Wolf-Rayet progenitor stars. However, we cannot unambiguously identify supernova signatures within their light curves or spectra. We also consider the alternative possibility that they arise from the tidal disruption of stars by massive black holes and conclude that the associated timescales are only consistent with the disruption of compact stars (e. g., white dwarfs) by black holes of relatively low mass (<10(5) M-circle dot).
- ItemSupernova 2011D in UGC 2498(2011) Narla, A.; Cenko, S. B.; Li, W.; Filippenko, A. V.; Howerton, S.; Drake, A. J.; Djorgovski, S. G.; Mahabal, A.; Graham, M. J.; Williams, R.; Prieto, J. L.; Catelan, Marcio; Beshore, E. C.; Larson, S. M.; Christensen, E.; Marion, G. H.; Challis, P.; Berlind, P.Via public images from the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS). 2011 UT R.A. (2000.0) Decl. Mag. Offset Observers Jan. 5.09 3 02 14.58 +17 20 58.9 18.2 33".8 E, 14".7 N CSS Jan. 6.30 3 02 14.53 +17 20 58.3 18.2 34".4 E, 14".8 N KAIT Additional magnitudes for 2011D: 2010 Dec. 8.32 UT, [19.3 (KAIT); 10.19, [19.4 (CSS); 2011 Jan. 7.21, 18.2 (KAIT); 8.13, 17.8 (S. Howerton, remotely with the LB-1 0.6-m telescope near Rodeo, NM, U.S.A.). Drake notes that the presumed host galaxy, UGC 2498, has redshift z = 0.0231. G. H. Marion and P. Challis, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), on behalf of the CfA Supernova Group, report that a spectrum (range 340-740 nm) was obtained of 2011D on Jan. 8 UT by P. Berlind with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.5-m telescope (+ FAST). Cross-correlation with a library of supernova spectra using the "Supernova Identification" code (SNID; Blondin and Tonry 2007, Ap.J. 666, 1024) shows that 2011D is a type-IIb supernova a few days before maximum light....
- ItemThe swift gamma-ray burst host galaxy legacy survey. I. Sample selection and redshift distribution.(2016) Perley, Daniel A.; Kim, Sam; Krühler, Thomas; Schulze, Steve.; Ugarte Postigo, A. de; Hjorth, J.; Berger, E.; Cenko, S. B.; Chary, R.; Cucchiara, A.