ORCID Profile
0000-0001-8211-8608
Current Organisation
Swinburne University of Technology
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Astronomical sciences | Artificial intelligence not elsewhere classified | Data mining and knowledge discovery | Astronomical sciences not elsewhere classified | Cosmology and extragalactic astronomy | Astronomical instrumentation
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 29-06-2020
Abstract: We consider the effects of weak gravitational lensing on observations of 196 spectroscopically confirmed Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) from years 1 to 3 of the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We simultaneously measure both the angular correlation function and the non-Gaussian skewness caused by weak lensing. This approach has the advantage of being insensitive to the intrinsic dispersion of SNe Ia magnitudes. We model the litude of both effects as a function of σ8, and find σ8 =1.2$^{+0.9}_{-0.8}$. We also apply our method to a subs le of 488 SNe from the Joint Light-curve Analysis (JLA chosen to match the redshift range we use for this work), and find σ8 =0.8$^{+1.1}_{-0.7}$. The comparable uncertainty in σ8 between DES–SN and the larger number of SNe from JLA highlights the benefits of homogeneity of the DES–SN s le, and improvements in the calibration and data analysis.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 08-02-2018
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 19-02-2019
DOI: 10.1093/MNRAS/STZ463
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 20-07-2021
Abstract: We present a novel method of classifying Type Ia supernovae using convolutional neural networks, a neural network framework typically used for image recognition. Our model is trained on photometric information only, eliminating the need for accurate redshift data. Photometric data is preprocessed via 2D Gaussian process regression into two-dimensional images created from flux values at each location in wavelength-time space. These “flux heatmaps” of each supernova detection, along with “uncertainty heatmaps” of the Gaussian process uncertainty, constitute the data set for our model. This preprocessing step not only smooths over irregular s ling rates between filters but also allows SCONE to be independent of the filter set on which it was trained. Our model has achieved impressive performance without redshift on the in-distribution SNIa classification problem: 99.73 ± 0.26% test accuracy with no over/underfitting on a subset of supernovae from PLAsTiCC’s unblinded test data set. We have also achieved 98.18 ± 0.3% test accuracy performing six-way classification of supernovae by type. The out-of-distribution performance does not fully match the in-distribution results, suggesting that the detailed characteristics of the training s le in comparison to the test s le have a big impact on the performance. We discuss the implication and directions for future work. All of the data processing and model code developed for this paper can be found in the SCONE software package located at elenqu/scone.
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 05-12-2016
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Date: 08-2014
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 03-12-2019
Abstract: We introduce SuperNNova, an open-source supernova photometric classification framework that leverages recent advances in deep neural networks. Our core algorithm is a recurrent neural network (RNN) that is trained to classify light curves using only photometric information. Additional information such as host-galaxy redshift can be incorporated to improve performance. We evaluate our framework using realistic supernova simulations that include survey detection. We show that our method, for the type Ia versus non-Ia supernova classification problem, reaches accuracies greater than 96.92 ± 0.09 without any redshift information and up to 99.55 ± 0.06 when redshift, either photometric or spectroscopic, is available. Further, we show that our method attains unprecedented performance for the classification of incomplete light curves, reaching accuracies & .4 ± 0.1 (& .5 ± 0.8) without host-galaxy redshift (with redshift information) 2 d before maximum light. In contrast with previous methods, there is no need for time-consuming feature engineering and we show that our method scales to very large data sets with a modest computing budget. In addition, we investigate often neglected pitfalls of machine learning algorithms. We show that commonly used algorithms suffer from poor calibration and overconfidence on out-of-distribution s les when applied to supernova data. We devise extensive tests to estimate the robustness of classifiers and cast the learning procedure under a Bayesian light, demonstrating a much better handling of uncertainties. We study the benefits of Bayesian RNNs for SN Ia cosmology. Our code is open sourced and available on github1.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 25-05-2020
Abstract: We present DES16C3cje, a low-luminosity, long-lived type II supernova (SN II) at redshift 0.0618, detected by the Dark Energy Survey (DES). DES16C3cje is a unique SN. The spectra are characterized by extremely narrow photospheric lines corresponding to very low expansion velocities of ≲1500 km s−1, and the light curve shows an initial peak that fades after 50 d before slowly rebrightening over a further 100 d to reach an absolute brightness of Mr ∼ −15.5 mag. The decline rate of the late-time light curve is then slower than that expected from the powering by radioactive decay of 56Co, but is comparable to that expected from accretion power. Comparing the bolometric light curve with hydrodynamical models, we find that DES16C3cje can be explained by either (i) a low explosion energy (0.11 foe) and relatively large 56Ni production of 0.075 M⊙ from an ∼15 M⊙ red supergiant progenitor typical of other SNe II, or (ii) a relatively compact ∼40 M⊙ star, explosion energy of 1 foe, and 0.08 M⊙ of 56Ni. Both scenarios require additional energy input to explain the late-time light curve, which is consistent with fallback accretion at a rate of ∼0.5 × 10−8 M⊙ s−1.
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 10-2022
DOI: 10.1088/1475-7516/2022/10/065
Abstract: Systematic uncertainties associated to type Ia supernova (SN Ia) Hubble diagrams from photometrically selected s les using photometric SN host galaxy redshifts are investigated. The host redshift uncertainties and the contamination by core-collapse SNe are both addressed. As a test case, we use the 3-year photometric SN Ia s le of the SuperNova Legacy Survey (SNLS), consisting of 437 objects between 0.1 and 1.05 in redshift with 4.7% contamination. We combine this s le with non-SNLS objects of the spectroscopic s le from the joint analysis (JLA) of the SDSS-II and SNLS collaborations, consisting of 501 objects mostly below 0.4 in redshift. We study two options for the origin of the redshifts of the photometric s le, either provided entirely from the host photometric redshift catalogue used in the selection or a mixed origin where around 75% of the s le can be assigned spectroscopic redshifts from dedicated measurements or external catalogues. Using light curve simulations subject to the same photometric selection as data, we study the impact of photometric redshift uncertainties and contamination on flat Λ CDM fits to Hubble diagrams from such combined s les. Our primary finding is that photometric redshifts and contamination lead to biased cosmological parameters. The magnitude of the bias is found to be similar for both redshift options. This bias can be largely accounted for if photometric redshift uncertainties and contamination are taken into account when computing the SN magnitude bias correction due to selection effects. To reduce the residual cosmological bias, we explore two methods to propagate redshift uncertainties into the cosmological likelihood computation, either by refitting photometric redshifts along with cosmology or by s ling the redshift resolution function. Redshift refitting fails at correcting the cosmological bias whatever the redshift origin, while s ling slightly reduces it in both cases. Finally, for actual data, we find compatible results with those from the JLA diagram for mixed photometric and spectroscopic redshifts, while the full photometric option is biased upwards, but consistent with JLA when all statistical and systematic uncertainties are included.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 20-10-2022
Abstract: We use stacked spectra of the host galaxies of photometrically identified Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) to search for correlations between Hubble diagram residuals and the spectral properties of the host galaxies. Utilizing full spectrum fitting techniques on stacked spectra binned by Hubble residual, we find no evidence for trends between Hubble residuals and properties of the host galaxies that rely on spectral absorption features (& .3σ), such as stellar population age, metallicity, and mass-to-light ratio. However, we find significant trends between the Hubble residuals and the strengths of [O ii] (4.4σ) and the Balmer emission lines (3σ). These trends are weaker than the well-known trend between Hubble residuals and host galaxy stellar mass (7.2σ) that is derived from broad-band photometry. After light-curve corrections, we see fainter SNe Ia residing in galaxies with larger line strengths. We also find a trend (3σ) between Hubble residual and the Balmer decrement (a measure of reddening by dust) using H β and H γ. The trend, quantified by correlation coefficients, is slightly more significant in the redder SNe Ia, suggesting that the bluer SNe Ia are relatively unaffected by dust in the interstellar medium of the host and that dust contributes to current Hubble diagram scatter impacting the measurement of cosmological parameters.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 25-07-2022
Abstract: Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are used as standardizable candles to measure cosmological distances, but differences remain in their corrected luminosities which display a magnitude step as a function of host galaxy properties such as stellar mass and rest-frame U−R colour. Identifying the cause of these steps is key to cosmological analyses and provides insight into SN physics. Here we investigate the effects of SN progenitor ages on their light-curve properties using a galaxy-based forward model that we compare to the Dark Energy Survey 5-yr SN Ia s le. We trace SN Ia progenitors through time and draw their light-curve width parameters from a bimodal distribution according to their age. We find that an intrinsic luminosity difference between SNe of different ages cannot explain the observed trend between step size and SN colour. The data split by stellar mass are better reproduced by following recent work implementing a step in total-to-selective dust extinction ratio (RV) between low- and high-mass hosts, although an additional intrinsic luminosity step is still required to explain the data split by host galaxy U−R. Modelling the RV step as a function of galaxy age provides a better match overall. Additional age versus luminosity steps marginally improve the match to the data, although most of the step is absorbed by the width versus luminosity coefficient α. Furthermore, we find no evidence that α varies with SN age.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 27-03-2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 13-04-2020
Abstract: We present an analysis of DES17X1boj and DES16E2bjy, two peculiar transients discovered by the Dark Energy Survey (DES). They exhibit nearly identical double-peaked light curves that reach very different maximum luminosities (Mr = −15.4 and −17.9, respectively). The light-curve evolution of these events is highly atypical and has not been reported before. The transients are found in different host environments: DES17X1boj was found near the nucleus of a spiral galaxy, while DES16E2bjy is located in the outskirts of a passive red galaxy. Early photometric data are well fitted with a blackbody and the resulting moderate photospheric expansion velocities (1800 km s−1 for DES17X1boj and 4800 km s−1 for DES16E2bjy) suggest an explosive or eruptive origin. Additionally, a feature identified as high-velocity Ca ii absorption ($v$ ≈ 9400 km s−1) in the near-peak spectrum of DES17X1boj may imply that it is a supernova. While similar light-curve evolution suggests a similar physical origin for these two transients, we are not able to identify or characterize the progenitors.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 18-11-2020
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 03-05-2018
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 05-06-2019
Abstract: Black hole mass measurements outside the local Universe are critically important to derive the growth of supermassive black holes over cosmic time, and to study the interplay between black hole growth and galaxy evolution. In this paper, we present two measurements of supermassive black hole masses from reverberation mapping (RM) of the broad C iv emission line. These measurements are based on multiyear photometry and spectroscopy from the Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program (DES-SN) and the Australian Dark Energy Survey (OzDES), which together constitute the OzDES RM Program. The observed reverberation lag between the DES continuum photometry and the OzDES emission line fluxes is measured to be $358^{+126}_{-123}$ and $343^{+58}_{-84}$ d for two quasars at redshifts of 1.905 and 2.593, respectively. The corresponding masses of the two supermassive black holes are 4.4 × 109 and 3.3 × 109 M⊙, which are among the highest redshift and highest mass black holes measured to date with RM studies. We use these new measurements to better determine the C iv radius−luminosity relationship for high-luminosity quasars, which is fundamental to many quasar black hole mass estimates and demographic studies.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 10-06-2020
Publisher: National Library of Serbia
Date: 2021
Abstract: Introduction/Objective. Essential Science Indicators (ESI) Highly Cited Papers (HCPs) refer to the most influential scientific articles and breakthrough research within a research field in the past decade. This study aimed to identify the characteristics of ESI HCPs in the subject category Dentistry, Oral Surgery and Medicine, to recognize authors, institutions and countries of origin, and determine research trends that attracted the most scientific interest in dentistry. Methods. A descriptive analysis of bibliographic data, network extraction and visualization were completed. Furthermore, analyzed ESI HCPs were classified according to a field of interest, main research domain, type of study, and level of evidence. Results. The set of 185 dental HCPs was published in 42 journals from 2010 to 2020, with an average number of 211.7 citations per paper. Nearly half of HCPs were issued by the Journal of Dental Research, Dental Materials, and Journal of Clinical Periodontology. There were 765 authors affiliated with 351 institutions from 42 countries. The most productive institutions were the University of Hong Kong, the University of Michigan, and the University of Bern. The United States of America contributed with the highest number of publications, followed by China, and the United Kingdom. Dental materials, dental implantology, periodontology, and oral and maxillofacial surgery represented areas of significant interest within this subject category. The highest proportion of HCPs were narrative and systematic reviews, expert opinions, consensus reports, and in vitro ?r lab studies. Conclusion. Results obtained from this study can provide valuable information for researchers to better identify present and future hotspots in dental research.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 19-05-2020
Abstract: The 5-yr Dark Energy Survey Supernova Programme (DES-SN) is one of the largest and deepest transient surveys to date in terms of volume and number of supernovae. Identifying and characterizing the host galaxies of transients plays a key role in their classification, the study of their formation mechanisms, and the cosmological analyses. To derive accurate host galaxy properties, we create depth-optimized coadds using single-epoch DES-SN images that are selected based on sky and atmospheric conditions. For each of the five DES-SN seasons, a separate coadd is made from the other four seasons such that each SN has a corresponding deep coadd with no contaminating SN emission. The coadds reach limiting magnitudes of order ∼27 in g band, and have a much smaller magnitude uncertainty than the previous DES-SN host templates, particularly for faint objects. We present the resulting multiband photometry of host galaxies for s les of spectroscopically confirmed type Ia (SNe Ia), core-collapse (CCSNe), and superluminous (SLSNe) as well as rapidly evolving transients (RETs) discovered by DES-SN. We derive host galaxy stellar masses and probabilistically compare stellar-mass distributions to s les from other surveys. We find that the DES spectroscopically confirmed s le of SNe Ia selects preferentially fewer high-mass hosts at high-redshift compared to other surveys, while at low redshift the distributions are consistent. DES CCSNe and SLSNe hosts are similar to other s les, while RET hosts are unlike the hosts of any other transients, although these differences have not been disentangled from selection effects.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 22-02-2018
DOI: 10.1093/MNRAS/STY466
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 19-11-2020
Abstract: fink is a broker designed to enable science with large time-domain alert streams such as the one from the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). It exhibits traditional astronomy broker features such as automatized ingestion, annotation, selection, and redistribution of promising alerts for transient science. It is also designed to go beyond traditional broker features by providing real-time transient classification that is continuously improved by using state-of-the-art deep learning and adaptive learning techniques. These evolving added values will enable more accurate scientific output from LSST photometric data for erse science cases while also leading to a higher incidence of new discoveries which shall accompany the evolution of the survey. In this paper, we introduce fink, its science motivation, architecture, and current status including first science verification cases using the Zwicky Transient Facility alert stream.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.1017/PASA.2021.17
Abstract: We present an overview of the SkyMapper optical follow-up programme for gravitational-wave event triggers from the LIGO/Virgo observatories, which aims at identifying early GW170817-like kilonovae out to $\\sim200\\,\\mathrm{Mpc}$ distance. We describe our robotic facility for rapid transient follow-up, which can target most of the sky at $\\delta +10\\deg $ to a depth of $i_\\mathrm{AB}\\approx 20\\,\\mathrm{mag}$ . We have implemented a new software pipeline to receive LIGO/Virgo alerts, schedule observations and examine the incoming real-time data stream for transient candidates. We adopt a real-bogus classifier using ensemble-based machine learning techniques, attaining high completeness ( $\\sim98\\%$ ) and purity ( $\\sim91\\%$ ) over our whole magnitude range. Applying further filtering to remove common image artefacts and known sources of transients, such as asteroids and variable stars, reduces the number of candidates by a factor of more than 10. We demonstrate the system performance with data obtained for GW190425, a binary neutron star merger detected during the LIGO/Virgo O3 observing c aign. In time for the LIGO/Virgo O4 run, we will have deeper reference images allowing transient detection to $i_\\mathrm{AB}\\approx 21\\,\\mathrm{mag}$ .
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 20-06-2022
Abstract: As part of the cosmology analysis using Type Ia Supernovae (SN Ia) in the Dark Energy Survey (DES), we present photometrically identified SN Ia s les using multiband light curves and host galaxy redshifts. For this analysis, we use the photometric classification framework SuperNNovatrained on realistic DES-like simulations. For reliable classification, we process the DES SN programme (DES-SN) data and introduce improvements to the classifier architecture, obtaining classification accuracies of more than 98 per cent on simulations. This is the first SN classification to make use of ensemble methods, resulting in more robust s les. Using photometry, host galaxy redshifts, and a classification probability requirement, we identify 1863 SNe Ia from which we select 1484 cosmology-grade SNe Ia spanning the redshift range of 0.07 & z & 1.14. We find good agreement between the light-curve properties of the photometrically selected s le and simulations. Additionally, we create similar SN Ia s les using two types of Bayesian Neural Network classifiers that provide uncertainties on the classification probabilities. We test the feasibility of using these uncertainties as indicators for out-of-distribution candidates and model confidence. Finally, we discuss the implications of photometric s les and classification methods for future surveys such as Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 21-12-2020
Abstract: Analyses of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) have found puzzling correlations between their standardized luminosities and host galaxy properties: SNe Ia in high-mass, passive hosts appear brighter than those in lower mass, star-forming hosts. We examine the host galaxies of SNe Ia in the Dark Energy Survey 3-yr spectroscopically confirmed cosmological s le, obtaining photometry in a series of ‘local’ apertures centred on the SN, and for the global host galaxy. We study the differences in these host galaxy properties, such as stellar mass and rest-frame U − R colours, and their correlations with SN Ia parameters including Hubble residuals. We find all Hubble residual steps to be & σ in significance, both for splitting at the traditional environmental property s le median and for the step of maximum significance. For stellar mass, we find a maximal local step of 0.098 ± 0.018 mag ∼0.03 mag greater than the largest global stellar mass step in our s le (0.070 ± 0.017 mag). When splitting at the s le median, differences between local and global U − R steps are small, both ∼0.08 mag, but are more significant than the global stellar mass step (0.057 ± 0.017 mag). We split the data into sub-s les based on SN Ia light-curve parameters: stretch (x1) and colour (c), finding that redder objects (c & 0) have larger Hubble residual steps, for both stellar mass and U − R, for both local and global measurements, of ∼0.14 mag. Additionally, the bluer (star-forming) local environments host a more homogeneous SN Ia s le, with local U − R rms scatter as low as 0.084 ± 0.017 mag for blue (c & 0) SNe Ia in locally blue U − R environments.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 17-08-2020
Abstract: Rapidly evolving transients (RETs), also termed fast blue optical transients, are a recently discovered group of astrophysical events that display rapid luminosity evolution. RETs typically rise to peak in less than 10 d and fade within 30, a time-scale unlikely to be compatible with the decay of Nickel-56 that drives conventional supernovae (SNe). Their peak luminosity spans a range of −15 & Mg & −22.5, with some events observed at redshifts greater than 1. Their evolution on fast time-scales has hindered high-quality follow-up observations, and thus their origin and explosion/emission mechanism remains unexplained. In this paper, we present the largest s le of RETs to date, comprising 106 objects discovered by the Dark Energy Survey, and perform the most comprehensive analysis of RET host galaxies. Using deep-stacked photometry and emission lines from OzDES spectroscopy, we derive stellar masses and star formation rates (SFRs) for 49 host galaxies, and metallicities ([O/H]) for 37. We find that RETs explode exclusively in star-forming galaxies and are thus likely associated with massive stars. Comparing RET hosts to s les of host galaxies of other explosive transients as well as field galaxies, we find that RETs prefer galaxies with high specific SFRs (〈log (sSFR)〉 ∼ −9.6), indicating a link to young stellar populations, similar to stripped-envelope SNe. RET hosts appear to show a lack of chemical enrichment, their metallicities akin to long-duration gamma-ray bursts and superluminous SN host galaxies (〈12 + log (O/H)〉 ∼ 9.4). There are no clear relationships between mass or SFR of the host galaxies and the peak magnitudes or decline rates of the transients themselves.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 08-02-2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 30-05-3202
Abstract: We present a description of the Australian Dark Energy Survey (OzDES) and summarize the results from its 6 years of operations. Using the 2dF fibre positioner and AAOmega spectrograph on the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope, OzDES has monitored 771 active galactic nuclei, classified hundreds of supernovae, and obtained redshifts for thousands of galaxies that hosted a transient within the 10 deep fields of the Dark Energy Survey. We also present the second OzDES data release, containing the redshifts of almost 30 000 sources, some as faint as rAB = 24 mag, and 375 000 in idual spectra. These data, in combination with the time-series photometry from the Dark Energy Survey, will be used to measure the expansion history of the Universe out to z ∼ 1.2 and the masses of hundreds of black holes out to z ∼ 4. OzDES is a template for future surveys that combine simultaneous monitoring of targets with wide-field imaging cameras and wide-field multi-object spectrographs.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 19-12-2022
Abstract: Recent analyses have found intriguing correlations between the colour (c) of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and the size of their ‘mass-step’, the relationship between SN Ia host galaxy stellar mass (Mstellar) and SN Ia Hubble residual, and suggest that the cause of this relationship is dust. Using 675 photometrically classified SNe Ia from the Dark Energy Survey 5-yr s le, we study the differences in Hubble residual for a variety of global host galaxy and local environmental properties for SN Ia subs les split by their colour. We find a 3σ difference in the mass-step when comparing blue (c & 0) and red (c & 0) SNe. We observe the lowest r.m.s. scatter (∼0.14 mag) in the Hubble residual for blue SNe in low mass/blue environments, suggesting that this is the most homogeneous s le for cosmological analyses. By fitting for c-dependent relationships between Hubble residuals and Mstellar, approximating existing dust models, we remove the mass-step from the data and find tentative ∼2σ residual steps in rest-frame galaxy U − R colour. This indicates that dust modelling based on Mstellar may not fully explain the remaining dispersion in SN Ia luminosity. Instead, accounting for a c-dependent relationship between Hubble residuals and global U − R, results in ≤1σ residual steps in Mstellar and local U − R, suggesting that U − R provides different information about the environment of SNe Ia compared to Mstellar, and motivating the inclusion of galaxy U − R colour in SN Ia distance bias correction.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 29-08-2018
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Date: 07-2018
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201731425
Abstract: We present a fully consistent catalog of local and global properties of host galaxies of 882 Type Ia supernovæ (SNIa) that were selected based on their light-curve properties, spanning the redshift range 0.01 z 1. This catalog corresponds to a preliminary version of the compilation s le and includes Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS) 5-year data, Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), and low-redshift surveys. We measured low- and moderate-redshift host galaxy photometry in SDSS stacked and single-epoch images and used spectral energy distribution fitting techniques to derive host properties such as stellar mass and U − V rest-frame colors the latter are an indicator of the luminosity-weighted age of the stellar population in a galaxy. We combined these results with high-redshift host photometry from the SNLS survey and thus obtained a consistent catalog of host stellar masses and colors across a wide redshift range. We also estimated the local observed fluxes at the supernova location within a proper distance radius of 3 kpc, corresponding to the SNLS imaging resolution, and transposed them into local U − V rest-frame colors. This is the first time that local environments surrounding SNIa have been measured at redshifts spanning the entire Hubble diagram. Selecting SNIa based on host photometry quality, we then performed cosmological fits using local color as a third standardization variable, for which we split the s le at the median value. We find a local color step significance of − 0.091 ± 0.013 mag (7 σ ), which effect is as significant as the maximum mass step effect. This indicates that the remaining luminosity variations in SNIa s les can be reduced with a third standardization variable that takes the environment into account. Correcting for the maximum mass step correction of − 0.094 ± 0.013 mag, we find a local color effect of − 0.057 ± 0.012 mag (5 σ ), which shows that additional information is provided by the close environment of SNIa. Departures from the initial choices were investigated and showed that the local color effect is still present, although less pronounced. We discuss the possible implications for cosmology and find that using the local color in place of the stellar mass results in a change in the measured value of the dark energy equation-of-state parameter of 0.6%. Standardization using local U − V color in addition to stretch and color reduces the total dispersion in the Hubble diagram from 0.15 to 0.14 mag. This will be of tremendous importance for the forthcoming SNIa surveys, and in particular for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), for which uncertainties on the dark energy equation of state will be comparable to the effects reported here.
Publisher: SPIE
Date: 25-08-2022
DOI: 10.1117/12.2630240
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 2023
Abstract: Gravitationally lensed supernovae (LSNe) are important probes of cosmic expansion, but they remain rare and difficult to find. Current cosmic surveys likely contain 5–10 LSNe in total while next-generation experiments are expected to contain several hundred to a few thousand of these systems. We search for these systems in observed Dark Energy Survey (DES) five year SN fields—10 3 sq. deg. regions of sky imaged in the griz bands approximately every six nights over five years. To perform the search, we utilize the DeepZipper approach: a multi-branch deep learning architecture trained on image-level simulations of LSNe that simultaneously learns spatial and temporal relationships from time series of images. We find that our method obtains an LSN recall of 61.13% and a false-positive rate of 0.02% on the DES SN field data. DeepZipper selected 2245 candidates from a magnitude-limited ( m i 22.5) catalog of 3,459,186 systems. We employ human visual inspection to review systems selected by the network and find three candidate LSNe in the DES SN fields.
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Date: 09-2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 08-04-2019
DOI: 10.1093/MNRAS/STZ958
Abstract: Here, we report on the detection and verification of fast radio burst FRB 180301, which occurred on utc 2018 March 1 during the Breakthrough Listen observations with the Parkes telescope. Full-polarization voltage data of the detection were captured – a first for non-repeating FRBs – allowing for coherent de-dispersion and additional verification tests. The coherently de-dispersed dynamic spectrum of FRB 180301 shows complex, polarized frequency structure over a small fractional bandwidth. As FRB 180301 was detected close to the geosynchronous satellite band during a time of known 1–2 GHz satellite transmissions, we consider whether the burst was due to radio interference emitted or reflected from an orbiting object. Based on the pre-ponderance of our verification tests, we cannot conclusively determine FRB 180301 to be either astrophysical or anthropogenic in origin.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 10-2022
Abstract: We present constraints on cosmological parameters from the Pantheon+ analysis of 1701 light curves of 1550 distinct Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) ranging in redshift from z = 0.001 to 2.26. This work features an increased s le size from the addition of multiple cross-calibrated photometric systems of SNe covering an increased redshift span, and improved treatments of systematic uncertainties in comparison to the original Pantheon analysis, which together result in a factor of 2 improvement in cosmological constraining power. For a flat ΛCDM model, we find Ω M = 0.334 ± 0.018 from SNe Ia alone. For a flat w 0 CDM model, we measure w 0 = −0.90 ± 0.14 from SNe Ia alone, H 0 = 73.5 ± 1.1 km s −1 Mpc −1 when including the Cepheid host distances and covariance (SH0ES), and w 0 = − 0.978 − 0.031 + 0.024 when combining the SN likelihood with Planck constraints from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) both w 0 values are consistent with a cosmological constant. We also present the most precise measurements to date on the evolution of dark energy in a flat w 0 w a CDM universe, and measure w a = − 0.1 − 2.0 + 0.9 from Pantheon+ SNe Ia alone, H 0 = 73.3 ± 1.1 km s −1 Mpc −1 when including SH0ES Cepheid distances, and w a = − 0.65 − 0.32 + 0.28 when combining Pantheon+ SNe Ia with CMB and BAO data. Finally, we find that systematic uncertainties in the use of SNe Ia along the distance ladder comprise less than one-third of the total uncertainty in the measurement of H 0 and cannot explain the present “Hubble tension” between local measurements and early universe predictions from the cosmological model.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 02-04-2019
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1017/PASA.2017.24
Abstract: The SkyMapper 1.3 m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory has now begun regular operations. Alongside the Southern Sky Survey, a comprehensive digital survey of the entire southern sky, SkyMapper will carry out a search for supernovae and other transients. The search strategy, covering a total footprint area of ~2 000 deg 2 with a cadence of ⩽5 d, is optimised for discovery and follow-up of low-redshift type Ia supernovae to constrain cosmic expansion and peculiar velocities. We describe the search operations and infrastructure, including a parallelised software pipeline to discover variable objects in difference imaging simulations of the performance of the survey over its lifetime public access to discovered transients and some first results from the Science Verification data.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 21-02-2019
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 10-2008
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 25-07-2022
Abstract: We present our follow-up observations with GRANDMA of transient sources revealed by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF). Over a period of six months, all ZTF alerts were examined in real time by a dedicated science module implemented in the Fink broker, which will be used in filtering of transients discovered by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. In this article, we present three selection methods to identify kilonova candidates. Out of more than 35 million alerts, a hundred sources have passed our selection criteria. Six were then followed-up by GRANDMA (by both professional and amateur astronomers). The majority were finally classified either as asteroids or as supernovae events. We mobilized 37 telescopes, bringing together a large s le of images, taken under various conditions and quality. To complement the orphan kilonova candidates, we included three additional supernovae alerts to conduct further observations during summer 2021. We demonstrate the importance of the amateur astronomer community that contributed images for scientific analyses of new sources discovered in a magnitude range r′ = 17 − 19 mag. We based our rapid kilonova classification on the decay rate of the optical source that should exceed 0.3 mag d−1. GRANDMA’s follow-up determined the fading rate within 1.5 ± 1.2 d post-discovery, without waiting for further observations from ZTF. No confirmed kilonovae were discovered during our observing c aign. This work will be continued in the coming months in the view of preparing for kilonova searches in the next gravitational-wave observing run O4.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 03-06-2022
Abstract: Cosmological analyses of s les of photometrically identified type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) depend on understanding the effects of ‘contamination’ from core-collapse and peculiar SN Ia events. We employ a rigorous analysis using the photometric classifier SuperNNova on state-of-the-art simulations of SN s les to determine cosmological biases due to such ‘non-Ia’ contamination in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) 5-yr SN s le. Depending on the non-Ia SN models used in the SuperNNova training and testing s les, contamination ranges from 0.8 to 3.5 per cent, with a classification efficiency of 97.7–99.5 per cent. Using the Bayesian Estimation Applied to Multiple Species (BEAMS) framework and its extension BBC (‘BEAMS with Bias Correction’), we produce a redshift-binned Hubble diagram marginalized over contamination and corrected for selection effects, and use it to constrain the dark energy equation-of-state, w. Assuming a flat universe with Gaussian ΩM prior of 0.311 ± 0.010, we show that biases on w are & .008 when using SuperNNova, with systematic uncertainties associated with contamination around 10 per cent of the statistical uncertainty on w for the DES-SN s le. An alternative approach of discarding contaminants using outlier rejection techniques (e.g. Chauvenet’s criterion) in place of SuperNNova leads to biases on w that are larger but still modest (0.015–0.03). Finally, we measure biases due to contamination on w0 and wa (assuming a flat universe), and find these to be & .009 in w0 and & .108 in wa, 5 to 10 times smaller than the statistical uncertainties for the DES-SN s le.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 11-01-2023
Abstract: We present the luminosity functions and host galaxy properties of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) core-collapse supernova (CCSN) s le, consisting of 69 Type II and 50 Type Ibc spectroscopically and photometrically confirmed supernovae over a redshift range 0.045 & z & 0.25. We fit the observed DES griz CCSN light curves and K-correct to produce rest-frame R-band light curves. We compare the s le with lower redshift CCSN s les from Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and Lick Observatory Supernova Search (LOSS). Comparing luminosity functions, the DES and ZTF s les of SNe II are brighter than that of LOSS with significances of 3.0σ and 2.5σ, respectively. While this difference could be caused by redshift evolution in the luminosity function, simpler explanations such as differing levels of host extinction remain a possibility. We find that the host galaxies of SNe II in DES are on average bluer than in ZTF, despite having consistent stellar mass distributions. We consider a number of possibilities to explain this – including galaxy evolution with redshift, selection biases in either the DES or ZTF s les, and systematic differences due to the different photometric bands available – but find that none can easily reconcile the differences in host colour between the two s les and thus its cause remains uncertain.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 30-07-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2018
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Date: 09-2014
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 23-08-2017
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 04-12-2020
Abstract: Searches for optical transients are usually performed with a cadence of days to weeks, optimized for supernova discovery. The optical fast transient sky is still largely unexplored, with only a few surveys to date having placed meaningful constraints on the detection of extragalactic transients evolving at sub-hour time-scales. Here, we present the results of deep searches for dim, minute-time-scale extragalactic fast transients using the Dark Energy Camera, a core facility of our all-wavelength and all-messenger Deeper, Wider, Faster programme. We used continuous 20 s exposures to systematically probe time-scales down to 1.17 min at magnitude limits g & 23 (AB), detecting hundreds of transient and variable sources. Nine candidates passed our strict criteria on duration and non-stellarity, all of which could be classified as flare stars based on deep multiband imaging. Searches for fast radio burst and gamma-ray counterparts during simultaneous multifacility observations yielded no counterparts to the optical transients. Also, no long-term variability was detected with pre-imaging and follow-up observations using the SkyMapper optical telescope. We place upper limits for minute-time-scale fast optical transient rates for a range of depths and time-scales. Finally, we demonstrate that optical g-band light-curve behaviour alone cannot discriminate between confirmed extragalactic fast transients such as prompt GRB flashes and Galactic stellar flares.
Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)
Date: 21-01-2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 18-04-2018
DOI: 10.1093/MNRAS/STY957
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Date: 07-2022
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202142715
Abstract: Context. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will produce a continuous stream of alerts made of varying sources in the sky. This data flow will be publicly advertised and distributed to scientists via broker systems such as F INK , whose task is to extract scientific information from the stream. Given the complexity and volume of the data to be generated, LSST is a prime target for machine learning (ML) techniques. One of the most challenging stages of this task is the construction of appropriate training s les which enable learning based on a limited number of spectroscopically confirmed objects. Aims. We describe how the F INK broker early supernova Ia (SN Ia) classifier optimizes its ML classifications by employing an active learning (AL) strategy. We demonstrate the feasibility of implementing such strategies in the current Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) public alert data stream. Methods. We compared the performance of two AL strategies: uncertainty s ling and random s ling. Our pipeline consists of three stages: feature extraction, classification, and learning strategy. Starting from an initial s le of ten alerts, including five SNe Ia and five non-Ia, we let the algorithm identify which alert should be added to the training s le. The system was allowed to evolve through 300 iterations. Results. Our data set consists of 23 840 alerts from ZTF with a confirmed classification via a crossmatch with the SIMBAD database and the Transient Name Server (TNS), 1600 of which were SNe Ia (1021 unique objects). After the learning cycle was completed, the data configuration consisted of 310 alerts for training and 23 530 for testing. Averaging over 100 realizations, the classifier achieved ~89% purity and ~54% efficiency. From 01 November 2020 to 31 October 2021 F INK applied its early SN Ia module to the ZTF stream and communicated promising SN Ia candidates to the TNS. From the 535 spectroscopically classified F INK candidates, 459 (86%) were proven to be SNe Ia. Conclusions. Our results confirm the effectiveness of AL strategies for guiding the construction of optimal training s les for astronomical classifiers. It demonstrates in real data that the performance of learning algorithms can be highly improved without the need of extra computational resources or overwhelmingly large training s les. This is, to our knowledge, the first application of AL to real alert data.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 22-05-2020
Abstract: Despite vast improvements in the measurement of the cosmological parameters, the nature of dark energy and an accurate value of the Hubble constant (H0) in the Hubble–Lemaître law remain unknown. To break the current impasse, it is necessary to develop as many independent techniques as possible, such as the use of Type II supernovae (SNe II). The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the utility of SNe II for deriving accurate extragalactic distances, which will be an asset for the next generation of telescopes where more-distant SNe II will be discovered. More specifically, we present a s le from the Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program (DES-SN) consisting of 15 SNe II with photometric and spectroscopic information spanning a redshift range up to 0.35. Combining our DES SNe with publicly available s les, and using the standard candle method (SCM), we construct the largest available Hubble diagram with SNe II in the Hubble flow (70 SNe II) and find an observed dispersion of 0.27 mag. We demonstrate that adding a colour term to the SN II standardization does not reduce the scatter in the Hubble diagram. Although SNe II are viable as distance indicators, this work points out important issues for improving their utility as independent extragalactic beacons: find new correlations, define a more standard subclass of SNe II, construct new SN II templates, and dedicate more observing time to high-redshift SNe II. Finally, for the first time, we perform simulations to estimate the redshift-dependent distance-modulus bias due to selection effects.
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 10-2022
Abstract: Current and future cosmological analyses with Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) face three critical challenges: (i) measuring the redshifts from the SNe or their host galaxies (ii) classifying the SNe without spectra and (iii) accounting for correlations between the properties of SNe Ia and their host galaxies. We present here a novel approach that addresses each of these challenges. In the context of the Dark Energy Survey (DES), we analyze an SN Ia s le with host galaxies in the redMaGiC galaxy catalog, a selection of luminous red galaxies. redMaGiC photo- z estimates are expected to be accurate to σ Δ z /(1+ z ) ∼ 0.02. The DES-5YR photometrically classified SN Ia s le contains approximately 1600 SNe, and 125 of these SNe are in redMaGiC galaxies. We demonstrate that redMaGiC galaxies almost exclusively host SNe Ia, reducing concerns relating to classification uncertainties. With this subs le, we find similar Hubble scatter (to within ∼0.01 mag) using photometric redshifts in place of spectroscopic redshifts. With detailed simulations, we show that the bias due to using redMaGiC photo- z s on the measurement of the dark energy equation of state w is up to Δ w ∼ 0.01–0.02. With real data, we measure a difference in w when using the redMaGiC photo- z s versus the spec- z s of Δ w = 0.005. Finally, we discuss how SNe in redMaGiC galaxies appear to comprise a more standardizable population, due to a weaker relation between color and luminosity ( β ) compared to the DES-3YR population by ∼5 σ . These results establish the feasibility of performing redMaGiC SN cosmology with photometric survey data in the absence of spectroscopic data.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 26-10-2022
Abstract: Cosmological analyses with type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) often assume a single empirical relation between colour and luminosity (β) and do not account for varying host-galaxy dust properties. However, from studies of dust in large s les of galaxies, it is known that dust attenuation can vary significantly. Here, we take advantage of state-of-the-art modelling of galaxy properties to characterize dust parameters (dust attenuation AV, and a parameter describing the dust law slope RV) for 1100 Dark Energy Survey (DES) SN host galaxies. Utilizing optical and infrared data of the hosts alone, we find three key aspects of host dust that impact SN cosmology: (1) there exists a large range (∼1–6) of host RV (2) high-stellar mass hosts have RV on average ∼0.7 lower than that of low-mass hosts (3) for a subs le of 81 spectroscopically classified SNe there is a significant (& σ) correlation between the Hubble diagram residuals of red SNe Ia and the host RV that when corrected for reduces scatter by $\\sim 13{{\\ \\rm per\\ cent}}$ and the significance of the ‘mass step’ to ∼1σ. These represent independent confirmations of recent predictions based on dust that attempted to explain the puzzling ‘mass step’ and intrinsic scatter (σint) in SN Ia analyses.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-11-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41586-022-05465-8
Abstract: Tidal disruption events (TDEs) are bursts of electromagnetic energy that are released when supermassive black holes at the centres of galaxies violently disrupt a star that passes too close
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-01-2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 23-06-2020
Abstract: We report the identification of a low-mass active galactic nucleus (AGN), DES J0218−0430, in a redshift z = 0.823 galaxy in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Supernova field. We select DES J0218−0430 as an AGN candidate by characterizing its long-term optical variability alone based on DES optical broad-band light curves spanning over 6 yr. An archival optical spectrum from the fourth phase of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey shows both broad Mg ii and broad H β lines, confirming its nature as a broad-line AGN. Archival XMM–Newton X-ray observations suggest an intrinsic hard X-ray luminosity of $L_{{\\rm 2-12\\, keV}}\\approx 7.6\\pm 0.4\\times 10^{43}$ erg s−1, which exceeds those of the most X-ray luminous starburst galaxies, in support of an AGN driving the optical variability. Based on the broad H β from SDSS spectrum, we estimate a virial black hole (BH) mass of M• ≈ 106.43–106.72 M⊙ (with the error denoting the systematic uncertainty from different calibrations), consistent with the estimation from OzDES, making it the lowest mass AGN with redshift & 0.4 detected in optical. We estimate the host galaxy stellar mass to be M* ≈ 1010.5 ± 0.3 M⊙ based on modelling the multiwavelength spectral energy distribution. DES J0218−0430 extends the M•–M* relation observed in luminous AGNs at z ∼ 1 to masses lower than being probed by previous work. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of using optical variability to identify low-mass AGNs at higher redshift in deeper synoptic surveys with direct implications for the upcoming Legacy Survey of Space and Time at Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 26-07-2017
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 03-2022
Abstract: Large-scale astronomical surveys have the potential to capture data on large numbers of strongly gravitationally lensed supernovae (LSNe). To facilitate timely analysis and spectroscopic follow-up before the supernova fades, an LSN needs to be identified soon after it begins. To quickly identify LSNe in optical survey data sets, we designed ZipperNet, a multibranch deep neural network that combines convolutional layers (traditionally used for images) with long short-term memory layers (traditionally used for time series). We tested ZipperNet on the task of classifying objects from four categories—no lens, galaxy-galaxy lens, lensed Type-Ia supernova, lensed core-collapse supernova—within high-fidelity simulations of three cosmic survey data sets: the Dark Energy Survey, Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), and a Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) imaging survey. Among our results, we find that for the LSST-like data set, ZipperNet classifies LSNe with a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.97, predicts the spectroscopic type of the lensed supernovae with 79% accuracy, and demonstrates similarly high performance for LSNe 1–2 epochs after first detection. We anticipate that a model like ZipperNet, which simultaneously incorporates spatial and temporal information, can play a significant role in the rapid identification of lensed transient systems in cosmic survey experiments.
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Date: 28-03-2017
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201628878
Abstract: Aims. The Galileon theory belongs to the class of modified gravity models that can explain the late-time accelerated expansion of the Universe. In previous works, cosmological constraints on the Galileon model were derived, both in the uncoupled case and with a disformal coupling of the Galileon field to matter. There, we showed that these models agree with the most recent cosmological data. In this work, we used updated cosmological data sets to derive new constraints on Galileon models, including the case of a constant conformal Galileon coupling to matter. We also explored the tracker solution of the uncoupled Galileon model. Methods. After updating our data sets, especially with the latest Planck data and baryonic acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurements, we fitted the cosmological parameters of the ΛCDM and Galileon models. The same analysis framework as in our previous papers was used to derive cosmological constraints, using precise measurements of cosmological distances and of the cosmic structure growth rate. Results. We show that all tested Galileon models are as compatible with cosmological data as the ΛCDM model. This means that present cosmological data are not accurate enough to distinguish clearly between the two theories. Among the different Galileon models, we find that a conformal coupling is not favoured, contrary to the disformal coupling which is preferred at the 2.3 σ level over the uncoupled case. The tracker solution of the uncoupled Galileon model is also highly disfavoured owing to large tensions with supernovae and Planck +BAO data. However, outside of the tracker solution, the general uncoupled Galileon model, as well as the general disformally coupled Galileon model, remain the most promising Galileon scenarios to confront with future cosmological data. Finally, we also discuss constraints coming from the Lunar Laser Ranging experiment and gravitational wave speed of propagation.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-05-2017
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 24-04-2015
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 22-12-2017
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Date: 29-04-2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 24-12-2022
Abstract: The Deeper, Wider, Faster (DWF) program coordinates observations with telescopes across the electromagnetic spectrum, searching for transients on time-scales of milliseconds to days. The tenth DWF observing run was carried out in near real-time during September 2021, and consisted of six consecutive days of observations of the NGC 6744 galaxy group and a field containing the repeating fast radio burst FRB 190711 with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, the Dark Energy Camera, the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope, and the Parkes 64-m ‘Murriyang’ radio telescope. In this work, we present the results of an image-domain search for transient, variable, and circularly polarized sources carried out with ASKAP, using data from the observing run along with test observations prior to the run and follow-up observations carried out during and after the run. We identified eight variable radio sources, consisting of one pulsar, six stellar systems (five of which exhibit circularly polarized emission), and one previously uncatalogued source. Of particular interest is the detection of pulses from the ultra-cool dwarf SCR J1845–6357 with a period of 14.2 ± 0.3 h in good agreement with the known optical rotation period, making this the slowest rotating radio-loud ultra-cool dwarf discovered.
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Date: 06-2018
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201731924
Abstract: Aims. We aim to present 70 spectra of 68 new high-redshift type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) measured at ESO’s VLT during the final two years of operation (2006–2008) of the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS). This new s le complements the VLT three year spectral set. Altogether, these two data sets form the five year s le of SNLS SN Ia spectra measured at the VLT on which the final SNLS cosmological analysis will partly be based. In the redshift range considered, this s le is unique in terms of homogeneity and number of spectra. We use it to investigate the possibility of a spectral evolution of SNe Ia populations with redshift as well as SNe Ia spectral properties as a function of lightcurve fit parameters and the mass of the host-galaxy. Methods. Reduction and extraction are based on both IRAF standard tasks and our own reduction pipeline. Redshifts are estimated from host-galaxy lines whenever possible or alternatively from supernova features. We used the spectro-photometric SN Ia model SALT2 combined with a set of galaxy templates that model the host-galaxy contamination to assess the type Ia nature of the candidates. Results. We identify 68 new SNe Ia with redshift ranging from z = 0.207 to z = 0.98 for an average redshift of z = 0.62. Each spectrum is presented in idually along with its best-fit SALT2 model. Adding this new s le to the three year VLT s le of SNLS, the final dataset contains 209 spectra corresponding to 192 SNe Ia identified at the VLT. We also publish the redshifts of other candidates (host galaxies or other transients) whose spectra were obtained at the same time as the spectra of live SNe Ia. This list provides a new redshift catalog useful for upcoming galaxy surveys. Using the full VLT SNe Ia s le, we build composite spectra around maximum light with cuts in color, the lightcurve shape parameter (“stretch”), host-galaxy mass and redshift. We find that high- z SNe Ia are bluer, brighter and have weaker intermediate mass element absorption lines than their low- z counterparts at a level consistent with what is expected from selection effects. We also find a flux excess in the range [3000–3400] Å for SNe Ia in low mass host-galaxies ( M 10 10 M ⊙ ) or with locally blue U – V colors, and suggest that the UV flux (or local color) may be used in future cosmological studies as a third standardization parameter in addition to stretch and color.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 26-05-2021
Abstract: The analysis of current and future cosmological surveys of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) at high redshift depends on the accurate photometric classification of the SN events detected. Generating realistic simulations of photometric SN surveys constitutes an essential step for training and testing photometric classification algorithms, and for correcting biases introduced by selection effects and contamination arising from core-collapse SNe in the photometric SN Ia s les. We use published SN time-series spectrophotometric templates, rates, luminosity functions, and empirical relationships between SNe and their host galaxies to construct a framework for simulating photometric SN surveys. We present this framework in the context of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) 5-yr photometric SN s le, comparing our simulations of DES with the observed DES transient populations. We demonstrate excellent agreement in many distributions, including Hubble residuals, between our simulations and data. We estimate the core collapse fraction expected in the DES SN s le after selection requirements are applied and before photometric classification. After testing different modelling choices and astrophysical assumptions underlying our simulation, we find that the predicted contamination varies from 7.2 to 11.7 per cent, with an average of 8.8 per cent and an r.m.s. of 1.1 per cent. Our simulations are the first to reproduce the observed photometric SN and host galaxy properties in high-redshift surveys without fine-tuning the input parameters. The simulation methods presented here will be a critical component of the cosmology analysis of the DES photometric SN Ia s le: correcting for biases arising from contamination, and evaluating the associated systematic uncertainty.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 13-04-2020
Abstract: We present improved photometric measurements for the host galaxies of 206 spectroscopically confirmed type Ia supernovae discovered by the Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program (DES-SN) and used in the first DES-SN cosmological analysis. For the DES-SN s le, when considering a 5D (z, x1, c, α, β) bias correction, we find evidence of a Hubble residual ‘mass step’, where SNe Ia in high-mass galaxies (& M⊙) are intrinsically more luminous (after correction) than their low-mass counterparts by $\\gamma =0.040\\pm 0.019$ mag. This value is larger by 0.031 mag than the value found in the first DES-SN cosmological analysis. This difference is due to a combination of updated photometric measurements and improved star formation histories and is not from host-galaxy misidentification. When using a 1D (redshift-only) bias correction the inferred mass step is larger, with $\\gamma =0.066\\pm 0.020$ mag. The 1D−5D γ difference for DES-SN is $0.026\\pm 0.009$ mag. We show that this difference is due to a strong correlation between host galaxy stellar mass and the x1 component of the 5D distance-bias correction. Including an intrinsic correlation between the observed properties of SNe Ia, stretch and colour, and stellar mass in simulated SN Ia s les, we show that a 5D fit recovers γ with −9 mmag bias compared to a +2 mmag bias for a 1D fit. This difference can explain part of the discrepancy seen in the data. Improvements in modelling correlations between galaxy properties and SN is necessary to ensure unbiased precision estimates of the dark energy equation of state as we enter the era of LSST.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 11-2019
DOI: 10.1017/S1743921318002077
Abstract: The SkyMapper Transient survey (SMT) is exploring variability in the southern sky by performing (a) a rolling search to discover and study supernovæ, and (b) a Target of Opportunity programme that uses the robotic SkyMapper Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory. The supernova survey is obtaining a non-targeted s le of Type Ia supernovæ (SNe Ia) at low redshifts, z 0.1, and studying other interesting transients found with the search strategy. We have a Target of Opportunity programme with an automatic response mechanism to search for optical counterparts to gravitational-wave and fast radio-burst events it benefits from SkyMapper’s large field of view of 5.7 sq. deg. and a rapid data reduction pipeline. We present first results of the SMT survey. The SMT pipeline can process and obtain potential candidates within 12 hours of observation. It disentangles real transients from processing artefacts using a machine-learning algorithm. To date, SMT has discovered over 60 spectroscopically confirmed supernovæ, several peculiar objects, and over 40 SNe Ia including one (SNIa 2016hhd) which was found within the first few days of explosion. We have also participated in searches for optical counterparts of gravitational waves, fast radio bursts and other transients, and have published observations of the optical counterpart of the gravitational-wave event GW170817. We also participate in coordinated observations with the Deeper Wider Faster programme, and the Kepler K2 cosmology project.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 09-04-2019
DOI: 10.1093/MNRAS/STZ978
Abstract: We present an improved measurement of the Hubble constant (H0) using the ‘inverse distance ladder’ method, which adds the information from 207 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) at redshift 0.018 & z & 0.85 to existing distance measurements of 122 low-redshift (z & 0.07) SNe Ia (Low-z) and measurements of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAOs). Whereas traditional measurements of H0 with SNe Ia use a distance ladder of parallax and Cepheid variable stars, the inverse distance ladder relies on absolute distance measurements from the BAOs to calibrate the intrinsic magnitude of the SNe Ia. We find H0 = 67.8 ± 1.3 km s−1 Mpc−1 (statistical and systematic uncertainties, 68 per cent confidence). Our measurement makes minimal assumptions about the underlying cosmological model, and our analysis was blinded to reduce confirmation bias. We examine possible systematic uncertainties and all are below the statistical uncertainties. Our H0 value is consistent with estimates derived from the Cosmic Microwave Background assuming a ΛCDM universe.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 16-06-2023
Abstract: Hydrogen-rich Type II supernovae (SNe II) are the most frequently observed class of core-collapse SNe (CCSNe). However, most studies that analyse large s les of SNe II lack events with absolute peak magnitudes brighter than −18.5 mag at rest-frame optical wavelengths. Thanks to modern surveys, the detected number of such luminous SNe II (LSNe II) is growing. There exist several mechanisms that could produce luminous SNe II. The most popular propose either the presence of a central engine (a magnetar gradually spinning down or a black hole accreting fallback material) or the interaction of supernova ejecta with circumstellar material (CSM) that turns kinetic energy into radiation energy. In this work, we study the light curves and spectral series of a small s le of six LSNe II that show peculiarities in their H α profile, to attempt to understand the underlying powering mechanism. We favour an interaction scenario with CSM that is not dense enough to be optically thick to electron scattering on large scales – thus, no narrow emission lines are observed. This conclusion is based on the observed light curve (higher luminosity, fast decline, blue colours) and spectral features (lack of persistent narrow lines, broad H α emission, lack of H α absorption, weak, or non-existent metal lines) together with comparison to other luminous events available in the literature. We add to the growing evidence that transients powered by ejecta–CSM interaction do not necessarily display persistent narrow emission lines.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 05-08-2021
Abstract: Reverberation mapping is a robust method to measure the masses of supermassive black holes outside of the local Universe. Measurements of the radius–luminosity (R−L) relation using the Mg ii emission line are critical for determining these masses near the peak of quasar activity at z ≈ 1−2, and for calibrating secondary mass estimators based on Mg ii that can be applied to large s les with only single-epoch spectroscopy. We present the first nine Mg ii lags from our 5-yr Australian Dark Energy Survey reverberation mapping programme, which substantially improves the number and quality of Mg ii lag measurements. As the Mg ii feature is somewhat blended with iron emission, we model and subtract both the continuum and iron contamination from the multiepoch spectra before analysing the Mg ii line. We also develop a new method of quantifying correlated spectroscopic calibration errors based on our numerous, contemporaneous observations of F-stars. The lag measurements for seven of our nine sources are consistent with both the H β and Mg ii R−L relations reported by previous studies. Our simulations verify the lag reliability of our nine measurements, and we estimate that the median false positive rate of the lag measurements is $4{{\\ \\rm per\\ cent}}$.
Location: Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
Start Date: 03-2023
End Date: 02-2026
Amount: $445,437.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2023
End Date: 12-2023
Amount: $595,295.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity