X-Rays from the Location of the Double-humped Transient ASASSN-15lh

Margutti, R.; Metzger, Brian D.; Chornock, R.; Milisavljević, D.; Berger, E.; Blanchard, P. K.; Guidorzi, C.; Migliori, G.; Kamble, A.; Lunnan, R.; Nicholl, M.; Coppejans, D. L.; Dall’Osso, S.; Drout, M. R.; Perna, Rosalba; Sbarufatti, B.

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/836/1/25

Cited by 62 publications

(92 citation statements)

References 85 publications

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“…The nature of the fourth flare, ASASSN15lh, is controversial: both a supernova (Dong et al 2016;Godoy-Rivera et al 2017) and a TDF (Leloudas et al 2016;Margutti et al 2017) have been proposed. In this paper we will consider both possible origins separately.…”

Section: Asas-snmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Mass and Luminosity Functions of Tidal Disruption Flares: Rate Suppression due to Black Hole Event Horizons

Velzen

2018

ApJ

127

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The tidal disruption of a star by a massive black hole is expected to yield a luminous flare of thermal emission. About two dozen of these stellar tidal disruption flares (TDFs) may have been detected in optical transient surveys. However, explaining the observed properties of these events within the tidal disruption paradigm is not yet possible. This theoretical ambiguity has led some authors to suggest that optical TDFs are due to a different process, such as a nuclear supernova or accretion disk instabilities. Here we present a test of a fundamental prediction of the tidal disruption event scenario: a suppression of the flare rate due to the direct capture of stars by the black hole. Using a recently compiled sample of candidate TDFs with black hole mass measurements, plus a careful treatment of selection effects in this flux-limited sample, we confirm that the dearth of observed TDFs from high-mass black holes is statistically significant. All the TDF impostor models we consider fail to explain the observed mass function; the only scenario that fits the data is a suppression of the rate due to direct captures. We find that this suppression can explain the low volumetric rate of the luminous TDF candidate ASASSN-15lh, thus supporting the hypothesis that this flare belongs to the TDF family. Our work is the first to present the optical TDF luminosity function. A steep power law is required to explain the observed rest-frame g-band luminosity, dN/dL g ∝ L −2.5 g . The mean event rate of the flares in our sample is ≈ 1 × 10 −4 galaxy −1 yr −1 , consistent with the theoretically expected tidal disruption rate.

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Section: Asas-snmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Mass and Luminosity Functions of Tidal Disruption Flares: Rate Suppression due to Black Hole Event Horizons

Velzen

2018

ApJ

127

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“…Dong et al 2016;Leloudas et al 2016;van Putten & Della Valle 2017;Margutti et al 2017) which achieve similar luminosities as SLSNe, but show different spectrophotometric evolution.…”

Section: Astrophysics From High-redshift Slsnementioning

confidence: 99%

Euclid: Superluminous supernovae in the Deep Survey

Inserra

Nichol

Scovacricchi

et al. 2018

A&A

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Context. In the last decade, astronomers have found a new type of supernova called 'superluminous supernovae' (SLSNe) due to their high peak luminosity and long light-curves. These hydrogen-free explosions (SLSNe-I) can be seen to z ∼ 4 and therefore, offer the possibility of probing the distant Universe. Aims. We aim to investigate the possibility of detecting SLSNe-I using ESA's Euclid satellite, scheduled for launch in 2020. In particular, we study the Euclid Deep Survey (EDS) which will provide a unique combination of area, depth and cadence over the mission. Methods. We estimated the redshift distribution of Euclid SLSNe-I using the latest information on their rates and spectral energy distribution, as well as known Euclid instrument and survey parameters, including the cadence and depth of the EDS. To estimate the uncertainties, we calculated their distribution with two different set-ups, namely optimistic and pessimistic, adopting different star formation densities and rates. We also applied a standardization method to the peak magnitudes to create a simulated Hubble diagram to explore possible cosmological constraints. Results. We show that Euclid should detect approximately 140 high-quality SLSNe-I to z ∼ 3.5 over the first five years of the mission (with an additional 70 if we lower our photometric classification criteria). This sample could revolutionize the study of SLSNe-I at z > 1 and open up their use as probes of star-formation rates, galaxy populations, the interstellar and intergalactic medium. In addition, a sample of such SLSNe-I could improve constraints on a time-dependent dark energy equation-of-state, namely w(a), when combined with local SLSNe-I and the expected SN Ia sample from the Dark Energy Survey. Conclusions. We show that Euclid will observe hundreds of SLSNe-I for free. These luminous transients will be in the Euclid data-stream and we should prepare now to identify them as they offer a new probe of the high-redshift Universe for both astrophysics and cosmology.

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“…The fast-fading X-ray emission at the location of SCP 06F6 is shown with orange circles (Levan et al 2013). Black stars: steady X-ray emission at the location of ASASSN-15lh (Margutti et al 2017b). Black squares: X-ray afterglow of GRB 111209A, associated with the overluminous SN 2011kl (Greiner et al 2015).…”

Section: Constraints On Magnetar Central Engines: the Ionization Breamentioning

confidence: 99%

Results from a Systematic Survey of X-Ray Emission from Hydrogen-poor Superluminous SNe

Margutti

Chornock

Metzger

et al. 2018

ApJ

Self Cite

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We present the results from a sensitive X-ray survey of 26 nearby hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae (SLSNe-I) with Swift, Chandra, and XMM. This data set constrains the SLSN evolution from a few days until ∼2000 days after explosion, reaching a luminosity limit L x ∼10 40 erg s −1 and revealing the presence of significant X-ray emission possibly associated with PTF 12dam. No SLSN-I is detected above L 10 erg s-, suggesting that the luminous X-ray emission L x ∼10 45 erg s −1 associated with SCP 60F6 is not common among SLSNe-I. We constrain the presence of off-axis gamma-ray burst (GRB) jets, ionization breakouts from magnetar engines and the density in the sub-parsec environments of SLSNe-I through inverse Compton emission. The deepest limits rule out the weakest uncollimated GRB outflows, suggesting that if the similarity of SLSNe-I with GRB/SNe extends to their fastest ejecta, then SLSNe-I are either powered by energetic jets pointed far away from our line of sight (θ>30°), or harbor failed jets that do not successfully break through the stellar envelope. Furthermore, if a magnetar central engine is responsible for the exceptional luminosity of SLSNe-I, our X-ray analysis favors large magnetic fields B 2 10 14 >´G and ejecta masses M M 3 ej > ☉ , in agreement with optical/UV studies. Finally, we constrain the pre-explosion mass-loss rate of stellar progenitors of SLSNe-I. For PTF 12dam we infer M M 2 10 yr 5 1 <´--☉, suggesting that the SN shock interaction with an extended circumstellar medium is unlikely to supply the main source of energy powering the optical transient and that some SLSN-I progenitors end their lives as compact stars surrounded by a low-density medium similar to long GRBs and type Ib/c SNe.

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X-Rays from the Location of the Double-humped Transient ASASSN-15lh

Cited by 62 publications

References 85 publications

On the Mass and Luminosity Functions of Tidal Disruption Flares: Rate Suppression due to Black Hole Event Horizons

On the Mass and Luminosity Functions of Tidal Disruption Flares: Rate Suppression due to Black Hole Event Horizons

Euclid: Superluminous supernovae in the Deep Survey

Results from a Systematic Survey of X-Ray Emission from Hydrogen-poor Superluminous SNe

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