1. LensWatch. II. improved photometry and time-delay constraints on the strongly lensed type Ia supernova 2022qmx ("SN Zwicky") with Hubble Space Telescope template observationsC. Larison, Justin Pierel, M. J. B. Newman, S. W. Jha, D. Gilman, E. E. Hayes, A. Agrawal, N. Arendse, Mateusz Bronikowski, Tanja Petrushevska, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Abstract
Strongly lensed supernovae (SNe) are a rare class of transient that can offer tight cosmological constraints that are complementary to methods from other astronomical events. We present a follow-up study of one recently discovered strongly lensed SN, the quadruply imaged type Ia SN 2022qmx (aka “SN Zwicky”), at z = 0.3544. We measure updated, template-subtracted photometry for SN Zwicky and derive improved time delays and magnifications. This is possible because SNe are transient, fading away after reaching their peak brightness. Specifically, we measure point-spread-function photometry for all four images of SN Zwicky in three Hubble Space Telescope WFC3/UVIS passbands (F475W, F625W, and F814W) and one WFC3/IR passband (F160W), with template images taken ∼11 months after the epoch in which the SN images appear. We find consistency to within 2σ between lens-model-predicted time delays (≲1 day) and measured time delays with HST colors (≲2 days), including the uncertainty from chromatic microlensing that may arise from stars in the lensing galaxy. The standardizable nature of SNe Ia allows us to estimate absolute magnifications for the four images, with images A and C being elevated in magnification compared to lens model predictions by about 6σ and 3σ, respectively, confirming previous work. We show that millilensing or differential dust extinction is unable to explain these discrepancies, and we find evidence for the existence of microlensing in images A, C, and potentially D that may contribute to the anomalous magnification. Keywords: supernova, strong lensing, astronomy Published in RUNG: 10.03.2025; Views: 558; Downloads: 9
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2. The diversity of strongly interacting Type IIn supernovaeI. Salmaso, E. Cappellaro, L. Tartaglia, J. P. Anderson, S. Benetti, Mateusz Bronikowski, Y.-Z. Cai, P. Charalampopoulos, W. T. Chen, E. Concepcion, Tanja Petrushevska, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Context. At late stages, massive stars experience strong mass-loss rates, losing their external layers and thus producing a dense H-rich circumstellar medium (CSM). After the explosion of a massive star, the collision and continued interaction of the supernova (SN) ejecta with the CSM power the SN light curve through the conversion of kinetic energy into radiation. When the interaction is strong, the light curve shows a broad peak and high luminosity that lasts for several months. For these SNe, the spectral evolution is also slower compared to non-interacting SNe. Notably, energetic shocks between the ejecta and the CSM create the ideal conditions for particle acceleration and the production of high-energy (HE) neutrinos above 1 TeV.
Aims. We study four strongly interacting Type IIn SNe, 2021acya, 2021adxl, 2022qml, and 2022wed, in order to highlight their peculiar characteristics, derive the kinetic energy of their explosion and the characteristics of the CSM, infer clues on the possible progenitors and their environment, and relate them to the production of HE neutrinos.
Methods. We analysed spectro-photometric data of a sample of interacting SNe to determine their common characteristics and derive the physical properties (radii and masses) of the CSM and the ejecta kinetic energies and compare them to HE neutrino production models.
Results. The SNe analysed in this sample exploded in dwarf star-forming galaxies, and they are consistent with energetic explosions and strong interaction with the surrounding CSM. For SNe 2021acya and 2022wed, we find high CSM masses and mass-loss rates, linking them to very massive progenitors. For SN 2021adxl, the spectral analysis and less extreme CSM mass suggest a stripped-envelope massive star as a possible progenitor. SN 2022qml is marginally consistent with being a Type Ia thermonuclear explosion embedded in a dense CSM. The mass-loss rates for all the SNe are consistent with the expulsion of several solar masses of material during eruptive episodes in the last few decades before the explosion. Finally, we find that the SNe in our sample are marginally consistent with HE neutrino production. Keywords: astronomy, neutrinos, supernovae Published in RUNG: 04.03.2025; Views: 551; Downloads: 8
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3. Eruptive mass loss less than a year before the explosion of superluminous supernovae : I. The cases of SN 2020xga and SN 2022xgcA. Gkini, C. Fransson, Ragnhild Lunnan, S. Schulze, F. Poidevin, N. Sarin, R. Könyves-Tóth, Jesper Sollerman, Mateusz Bronikowski, Tanja Petrushevska, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2020xga and SN 2022xgc, two hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae (SLSNe-I) at z = 0.4296 and z = 0.3103, respectively, which show an additional set of broad Mg II absorption lines, blueshifted by a few thousands kilometer second−1 with respect to the host galaxy absorption system. Previous work interpreted this as due to resonance line scattering of the SLSN continuum by rapidly expanding circumstellar material (CSM) expelled shortly before the explosion. The peak rest-frame g-band magnitude of SN 2020xga is −22.30 ± 0.04 mag and of SN 2022xgc is −21.97 ± 0.05 mag, placing them among the brightest SLSNe-I. We used high-quality spectra from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths to model the Mg II line profiles and infer the properties of the CSM shells. We find that the CSM shell of SN 2020xga resides at ∼1.3 × 1016 cm, moving with a maximum velocity of 4275 km s−1, and the shell of SN 2022xgc is located at ∼0.8 × 1016 cm, reaching up to 4400 km s−1. These shells were expelled ∼11 and ∼5 months before the explosions of SN 2020xga and SN 2022xgc, respectively, possibly as a result of luminous-blue-variable-like eruptions or pulsational pair instability (PPI) mass loss. We also analyzed optical photometric data and modeled the light curves, considering powering from the magnetar spin-down mechanism. The results support very energetic magnetars, approaching the mass-shedding limit, powering these SNe with ejecta masses of ∼7 − 9 M⊙. The ejecta masses inferred from the magnetar modeling are not consistent with the PPI scenario pointing toward stars > 50 M⊙ He-core; hence, alternative scenarios such as fallback accretion and CSM interaction are discussed. Modeling the spectral energy distribution of the host galaxy of SN 2020xga reveals a host mass of 107.8 M⊙, a star formation rate of 0.96−0.26+0.47 M⊙ yr−1, and a metallicity of ∼0.2 Z⊙. Keywords: eruptive mass, loss, supernovae Published in RUNG: 04.03.2025; Views: 622; Downloads: 7
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4. Lens mass estimate in the galactic disk extreme parallax microlensing event Gaia19dkeM. Maskoliunas, Łukasz Wyrzykowski, K. Howil, P. J. Mikołajczyk, P. Zieliński, Z. Kaczmarek, K. Kruszyńska, M. Jabłońska, J. Zdanavičius, Mateusz Bronikowski, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: We present the results of our analysis of Gaia19dke, an extraordinary microlensing event in the Cygnus constellation that the Gaia satellite discovered. This event featured a strong microlensing parallax effect, resulting in multiple light curve peaks. We conducted extensive photometric, spectroscopic, and high-resolution imaging follow-up observations to determine the mass and nature of the invisible lensing object. Using the Milky Way priors on the density and proper motion of lenses, we found that the lens is likely to be located at a distance of DL=3.3(+2.1, -1.7) kpc, and has a mass of ML=0.50(+0.82, -0.27) M☉. Based on its low luminosity and mass, we propose that the lens in the Gaia19dke event is either a main sequence star or an isolated white dwarf. Due to its brightness, longevity, and lack of blending, Gaia19dke is a target for which the forthcoming Gaia Data Release 4 data will help to constrain the parameters of the lens. Keywords: gravitational lensing, micro stars, fundamental parameters, white dwarfs, astrophysics, solar astrophysics, stellar astrophysics, astrophysics of galaxies, instrumentation for astrophysics, methods for astrophysics Published in RUNG: 13.01.2025; Views: 668; Downloads: 2
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5. Massive stars exploding in a He-rich circumstellar medium : X. Flash spectral features in the Type Ibn SN 2019cj and observations of SN 2018jmtZ.-Y. Wang, A. Pastorello, K. Maeda, A. Reguitti, Y.-Z. Cai, D. Andrew Howell, S. Benetti, Mateusz Bronikowski, E. Concepcion, Tanja Petrushevska, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: We present optical and near-infrared observations of two Type Ibn supernovae (SNe), SN\,2018jmt and SN\,2019cj. Their light curves have rise times of about ten days, reaching an absolute peak magnitude of $M_g$(SN\,2018jmt) = $-$19.07 pm 0.37 and $M_V$(SN\,2019cj) = $-$18.94 pm 0.19 mag, respectively. The early-time spectra of SN\,2018jmt are dominated by a blue continuum, accompanied by narrow (600$-$1000 km $) He i lines with the P-Cygni profile. At later epochs, the spectra become more similar to those of the prototypical SN Ibn 2006jc. At early phases, the spectra of SN\,2019cj show flash ionisation emission lines of C iii N iii and He ii superposed on a blue continuum. These features disappear after a few days, and then the spectra of SN\,2019cj evolve similarly to those of SN\,2018jmt. The spectra indicate that the two SNe exploded within a He-rich circumstellar medium (CSM) lost by the progenitors a short time before the explosion. We modelled the light curves of the two SNe Ibn to constrain the progenitor and the explosion parameters. The ejecta masses are consistent with either what is expected for a canonical SN Ib (sim 2 odot $) or for a massive Wolf Rayet star ($>$ sim 4 M$_ odot $), with the kinetic energy on the order of $10^ $ erg. The lower limit on the ejecta mass ($>$ sim 2 M odot $) argues against a scenario involving a relatively low-mass progenitor (e.g. $M_ ZAMS $ sim 10 M$_ odot $). We set a conservative upper limit of sim 0.1 M$_ odot $ for the 56Ni masses in both SNe. From the light curve modelling, we determined a two-zone CSM distribution, with an inner, flat CSM component and an outer CSM with a steeper density profile. The physical properties of SN\,2018jmt and SN\,2019cj are consistent with those expected from the core collapse of relatively massive envelope-stripped stars. Keywords: supernovae Published in RUNG: 06.11.2024; Views: 920; Downloads: 7
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6. Gaia22dkvLb : a microlensing planet potentially accessible to radial-velocity characterizationZexuan Wu, Subo Dong, Tuan Yi, Zhuokai Liu, Kareem El-Badry, Andrew Gould, Łukasz Wyrzykowski, K. A. Rybicki, Mateusz Bronikowski, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: We report discovering an exoplanet from following up a microlensing event alerted by Gaia. The event Gaia22dkv is toward a disk source rather than the traditional bulge microlensing fields. Our primary analysis yields a Jovian planet with M_p = 0.59 (+0.15, -0.05) M_J at a projected orbital separation r_perpendicular = 1.4 (+0.8, -0.3) au, and the host is a ∼1.1 M⊙ turnoff star at ∼1.3 kpc. At r' ~= 14, the host is far brighter than any previously discovered microlensing planet host, opening up the opportunity to test the microlensing model with radial velocity (RV) observations. RV data can be used to measure the planet's orbital period and eccentricity, and they also enable searching for inner planets of the microlensing cold Jupiter, as expected from the "inner–outer correlation" inferred from Kepler and RV discoveries. Furthermore, we show that Gaia astrometric microlensing will not only allow precise measurements of its angular Einstein radius θ_E but also directly measure the microlens parallax vector and unambiguously break a geometric light-curve degeneracy, leading to the definitive characterization of the lens system. Keywords: gravitational microlensing exoplanet detection, planetary astrophysics, astrophysics of galaxies, instrumentation astrophysics, methods for astrophysics, solar astrophysics, stellar astrophysics Published in RUNG: 23.08.2024; Views: 1407; Downloads: 10
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7. JWST photometric time-delay and magnification measurements for the triply imaged type ia "SN H0pe" at z=1.78Justin Pierel, B. L. Frye, M. Pascale, Gabriel Bartosch Caminha, W. Chen, S. Dhawan, D. Gilman, M. Grayling, Mateusz Bronikowski, Tanja Petrushevska, 2024, original scientific article Keywords: supernova, strong lensing, cosmology, Hubble constant, James Webb Space Telescope Published in RUNG: 21.05.2024; Views: 1793; Downloads: 11
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8. Lens parameters for Gaia18cbf – a long gravitational microlensing event in the Galactic planeK. Kruszyńska, Ł. Wyrzykowski, K. A. Rybicki, M. Maskoliūnas, E. Bachelet, N. Rattenbury, P. Mróz, P. Zieliński, K. Howil, Z. Kaczmarek, S. T. Hodgkin, N. Ihanec, I. Gezer, M. Gromadzki, P. Mikołajczyk, A. Stankevičiūtė, V. Čepas, E. Pakštienė, K. Šiškauskaitė, J. Zdanavičius, V. Bozza, M. Dominik, R. Figuera Jaimes, A. Fukui, M. Hundertmark, N. Narita, R. Street, Y. Tsapras, Mateusz Bronikowski, M. Jabłońska, A. Jabłonowska, O. Ziółkowska, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Context. The timescale of a microlensing event scales as a square root of a lens mass. Therefore, long-lasting events are important candidates for massive lenses, including black holes.
Aims. Here, we present the analysis of the Gaia18cbf microlensing event reported by the Gaia Science Alerts system. It exhibited a long timescale and features that are common for the annual microlensing parallax effect. We deduce the parameters of the lens based on the derived best fitting model.
Methods. We used photometric data collected by the Gaia satellite as well as the follow-up data gathered by the ground-based observatories. We investigated the range of microlensing models and used them to derive the most probable mass and distance to the lens using a Galactic model as a prior. Using a known mass-brightness relation, we determined how likely it is that the lens is a main-sequence (MS) star.
Results. This event is one of the longest ever detected, with the Einstein timescale of tE = 491.41−84.94+128.31 days for the best solution and tE = 453.74−105.74+178.69 days for the second best. Assuming Galaxy priors, this translates to the most probable lens masses of ML = 2.65−1.48+5.09 M⊙ and ML = 1.71−1.06+3.78 M⊙, respectively. The limits on the blended light suggest that this event was most likely not caused by a MS star, but rather by a dark remnant of stellar evolution. Keywords: gravitational lensing: micro, Galaxy: stellar content, stars: black holes, stars: neutron, Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics Published in RUNG: 13.11.2023; Views: 2451; Downloads: 8
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9. Wavelength-resolved reverberation mapping of quasar CTS C30.10: Dissecting Mg II and Fe II emission regionsRaj Prince, Michal Zajaček, Bożena Czerny, Piotr Trzcionkowski, Mateusz Bronikowski, Catalina Sobrino Figaredo, Swayamtrupta Panda, Mary Loli Martinez-Aldama, Krzysztof Hryniewicz, Vikram Kumar Jaiswal, Marzena Śniegowska, Mohammad-Hassan Naddaf, Maciej Bilicki, Martin Haas, Marek Jacek Sarna, Vladimir Karas, Aleksandra Olejak, Robert Przyłuski, Mateusz Rałowski, Andrzej Udalski, Ramotholo R. Sefako, Anja Genade, Hannah L. Worters, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Context. We present the results of the reverberation monitoring of the Mg II broad line and Fe II pseudocontinuum for the luminous quasar CTS C30.10 (z = 0.90052) with the Southern African Large Telescope in 2012–2021.
Aims. We aimed at disentangling the Mg II and UV Fe II variability and the first measurement of UV Fe II time delay for a distant quasar.
Methods. We used several methods for the time-delay measurements and determined the Fe II and Mg II time delays. We also performed a wavelength-resolved time delay study for a combination of Mg II and Fe II in the 2700–2900 Å rest-frame wavelength range.
Results. We obtain a time delay for Mg II of 275.5−19.5+12.4 days in the rest frame, and we have two possible solutions of 270.0−25.3+13.8 days and 180.3−30.0+26.6 in the rest frame for Fe II. Combining this result with the old measurement of Fe II UV time delay for NGC 5548, we discuss for first time the radius-luminosity relation for UV Fe II with the slope consistent with 0.5 within the uncertainties.
Conclusions. Because the Fe II time delay has a shorter time-delay component but the lines are narrower than Mg II, we propose that the line-delay measurement is biased toward the part of the broad line region (BLR) facing the observer. The bulk of the Fe II emission may arise from the more distant BLR region, however, the region that is shielded from the observer. Keywords: accretion, accretion disks / quasars: emission lines / quasars: individual: CTS C30.10 / techniques: spectroscopic / techniques: photometric Published in RUNG: 13.11.2023; Views: 2658; Downloads: 5
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10. Wavelength-resolved reverberation mapping of intermediate-redshift quasars HE 0413-4031 and HE 0435-4312 : dissecting Mg II, optical Fe II, and UV Fe II emission regionsRaj Prince, Michal Zajaček, Swayamtrupta Panda, Krzysztof Hryniewicz, Vikram Kumar Jaiswal, Bożena Czerny, Piotr Trzcionkowski, Mateusz Bronikowski, Mateusz Rałowski, Catalina Sobrino Figaredo, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Context. We present the wavelength-resolved reverberation mapping (RM) of combined Mg II and UV Fe II broad-line emissions for two intermediate-redshift (z ∼ 1), luminous quasars, HE 0413-4031 and HE 0435-4312, monitored by the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) and 1m class telescopes between 2012 and 2022.
Aims. Using a wavelength-resolved technique, we aim to disentangle the Mg II and Fe II emission regions and to build a radius–luminosity (R–L) relation for UV Fe II emission, which has so far remained unconstrained.
Methods. We applied several time-delay methodologies to constrain the time delays for total Mg II and Fe II emissions. In addition, wavelength-resolved RM is performed to quantify the inflow or outflow of broad-line region (BLR) gas around the supermassive black hole and to disentangle the emission and the emitting regions based on lines produced in proximity to each other.
Results. The mean total FeII time delay is nearly equal to the mean total MgII time delay for HE 0435-4312, suggesting the co-spatiality of their emission regions. However, in HE 0413-4031, the mean FeII time delay is found to be longer than the mean MgII time delay, suggesting that FeII emission is produced at greater distances from the black hole. The UV FeII R–L relation is updated with these two quasars (now four in total) and compared with the optical FeII relation (20 sources), which suggests that the optical FeII emission region is located further than the UV FeII region by a factor of 1.7–1.9, that is, RFeII-opt ∼ (1.7 − 1.9)RFeII-UV.
Conclusion. Wavelength-resolved reverberation is an efficient way to constrain the geometry and structure of the BLR. We detected a weak pattern in the time delay versus wavelength relation, suggesting that the MgII broad line originates from a region slightly closer to the SMBH than the UV FeII pseudo continuum, although the difference is not very significant. Comparison of MgII, UV, and optical FeII R–L relations suggests that the difference may be greater for lower-luminosity sources, possibly with the MgII emission originating further from the SMBH. In the future, more RM data will be acquired, allowing better constraints on these trends, in particular the UV FeII R–L relation. Keywords: accretion, accretion disks, emission lines, photometric, spectroscopic Published in RUNG: 13.11.2023; Views: 2908; Downloads: 7
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