Graduate seminar on topical areas in modern astrophysics and
cosmology. Each semester a different topic of current special
interest is selected. Participants in this seminar discuss papers
given by seminar members (in rotation). Several faculty members also
participate.
Note: Participation for three semesters is required to obtain
credit for this course.
GCN:
The GRB Coordinates Network
GRB
Follow-up at the Harvard-Smithsonian CfA
Green, D. A. & Stephenson, F. R. "The Historical
Supernovae", 2003, in "Supernovae and Gamma Ray Bursters",
ed. K. W. Weiler (astro-ph/0301603)
Turatto, M. "Classification of
Supernovae", 2003, in "Supernovae and Gamma Ray Bursters",
ed. K. W. Weiler (astro-ph/0301107)
Leibundgut, B. & Suntzeff, N.B. "Optical Light Curves of
Supernovae", 2003, in "Supernovae and Gamma Ray Bursters",
ed. K. W. Weiler (astro-ph/0304112)
LOTOSS: The
Lick Observatoriy and Tenagra Observatory Supernova Searches
Tonry, J. L., et al. "
Cosmological Results from High-z Supernovae", 2003, ApJ, in press
(astro-ph/0305008)
Cappellaro, E. "
Supernova Types and Rates", 2000, invited review at "The influence of
binaries on stellar population studies" (astro-ph/0012455)
Cappellaro, E., "Supernova Rates", 2003, in ""Supernovae and Gamma Ray
Bursters", ed. K. W. Weiler (no electronic version available)
Hamuy, M., Pinto P.A.
"Type II Supernovae as Standardized Candles", 2002, ApJ, 566, 2
Hamuy, M. et al.
"The Distance to SN 1999em from the Expanding Photosphere Method",
2001, ApJ, 558, 2
Leonard, D. C., Kanbur, S. M., Ngeow, C. C., Tanvir, N. R.
"The Cepheid Distance to NGC 1637: A Direct Comparison with the EPM
Distance to SN 1999em", 2003, ApJ, 594, 1
Leonard, D.C., et al.
"The Distance to SN 1999em in NGC 1637 from the Expanding Photosphere
Method", 2002, PASP, 114, 791
Li, W., et al.
"SN 2002cx: The Most Peculiar Known Type Ia Supernoa", 2003, PASP,
115, 806
This page was last updated on Sat Dec 27 16:26:52 EST 2003
Schedule for Fall'2003:
``Organizational meeting'' - Kris Stanek
and Tom Matheson
0. September 17th, 2003Abstract:
How the course is organized. Motivation for the topic. Scheduling the
talks.General reading material for the Semester:
Always useful are the NASA Astrophysics Data
System and the astro-ph preprint
archive.
``Observational Introduction to Supernovae: Part
I'' - Ryan
Hickox1. September 17th, 2003Abstract:
Our knowledge of those fascinating, enormously powerful explosions we
call supernovae is driven by observations. Here I will give an
overview of what observations can tell us about SNe, focusing on
optical spectra and light curves. We will begin with historical
observations of SNe, followed by the development of modern ideas about
them in the 20th century. Finally I will go over the current
classification system for SNe, and will describe the observational
characteristics and likely physical mechanisms of each type of SN
explosion.Reading material:
Filippenko, A. V. "Optical
Spectra of Supernovae", 1997, ARA&A, 35, 309
``Observational Introduction to Supernovae: Part II'' - Maryam Modjaz2. September 24th, 2003 Abstract:
I will start out by outlining the different SN searches and their
techniques, focusing on how they target different redshift ranges and
how they have advanced our knowledge of SNe. I will continue by
discussing what we know about the environments and progenitors of SNe
from observations. One aspect of great interest are SN rates, both
local, for our own Galaxy and as a function of redshift, which have to
be disentangled from observational selection effects. Finally, I will
tackle the question whether there is evolution of SNe Ia with
redshift.Reading material:
The
High-Z Supernova Search Team
``Theory of Core-Collapse Supernovae'' - Xavier Koenig3. October 1st, 2003 Abstract:
My talk will focus on the theoretical developments in core collapse
supernovae in the past decade, in relation to the basic explosion
mechanism (not the development of the light curve in this case). I
will start by introducing the basic foundations on which current work
is based, that is: ideas accumulated and gathered in Woosley and
Weaver 1986, ARA&A, 24, p205 and reassessed following SN1987A. I will
continue by discussing subsequent developments and advances in
modelling the explosion mechanism since then, and finish by assessing
the current state of ideas surrounding mechanism and possible future
direction of investigations in the field.Reading material:
``Theory of Type Ia Supernovae'' - Slavko
Bogdanov4. October 8th, 2003 Abstract:
The nature of SN Type Ia is still a mystery. This talk will deal with
the theoretical work aimed at uncovering the true origin of these
phenomenona. I will begin by describing the two plausible SN Ia
progenitor scenarios and their strengths and weaknesses. I will also
discuss the various proposed explosion mechanisms as well as numerical
modeling of these explosions and the resulting lightcurves. Finally, I
will end by summarizing the current state of theoretical work on SNe
Ia and what we have learned so far.Reading material:
``SN 1987A'' - Shinae Park5. October 15th, 2003 Abstract:
Supernova 1987A is one of the most exciting astronomical events
observed since the invention of the telescope, providing a clear
observational opportunity to test theories of supernova explosions.
In this talk, I will begin by summarizing what makes SN 1987A such an
ideal candidate for SN studies. I will continue with a discussion of
how SN 1987A confirmed and/or challenged different aspects of SN
theory, highlighting in particular the detection of neutrinos from the
supernova. I will conclude by covering what continues to remain a
mystery in this supernova and what future investigations might be
carried out to answer the questions that remain.Reading material:
``Supernovae and Cosmology'' - Randall
Cooper6. October 22nd, 2003 (in Phillips)Abstract:
Recent observations of supernova explosions have helped introduced a
new paradigm in modern cosmology. Spectral data from type Ia
supernovae imply that the expansion of the Universe is actually
accelerating! In this talk I will first discuss how astronomers use
supernovae as cosmological distance indicators. I will then discuss
the relevant cosmological parameters that describe our Universe.
Next, I will talk about measurements of the Hubble constant and the
Universe's acceleration. Finally, I will outline some of the issues
that these findings have produced.Reading material:
``Recent Developments in
Supernovae'' - Jonathan
Foster7. October 29th, 2003 (in
Phillips)Abstract:
The exciting cosmological work with type Ia supernovae has been
covered in earlier talks, and the recent confirmation of a connection
between supernovae and gamma ray bursts will be covered in later
ones. I therefore focus on two other recent developments in
supernovae. The first is using Type II SNe for cosmology, which is
possible by two methods: the expanding photosphere method, and using
them as calibrated standard candles. The second topic is SN 2002cx, a
unique type Ia which should cause sleepless nights for anyone
attempting to understand the theoretical production of SNe Ia and why
they should be standard candles.Reading material:
``An Introduction to Gamma Ray Bursts'' - Eliza
Miller-Ricci8. November 5th, 2003 (in
Classroom A)Abstract:
Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) have posed one of the greatest mysteries of
modern astronomy. It is only in the last seven years that we have
really begun to understand where they are and what causes them. As an
introduction to GRBs, I will begin with a historical outline of GRB
research from their discovery in the early 1970s up through the
observation of the first GRB afterglows in 1997. I will then move
onto an observational description of GRB afterglows in the x-ray,
visual, and radio regimes. Finally, a brief description of recent
research in GRBs and future prospects in the field will be given.Reading material:
``GRB Theory'' - Deborah
Freedman9. November 12th, 2003 Abstract:
The "fireball" model of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) describes the release
of a huge amount of energy by a to-be-determined source that results
in a relativistically expanding fireball of photons, electrons, and
protons. The dissipation of kinetic energy of the expanding fireball
produces the observed burst of gamma-rays by internal collisions
within the sub-structure of the fireball and produces the afterglow
radiation by collisions of the fireball ejecta with the surrounding
medium. As the fireball expands it slows down, and the afterglow
radiation it produces progresses across the spectrum from x-rays to
radio. The fireball model successfully describes many of the observed
properties of GRBs, but some questions remain open. In this talk I
will discuss the fireball model, derive constraints on model
parameters, and discuss possible progenitor models.Reading material:
``GRBs Connection to Supernovae'' - Jonathan Mackey10. November 19th, 2003 Abstract:
Right from the time GRBs were first discovered, it was suspected that
they were related to supernovae. Since the mid-1990s evidence for
this connection has mounted, notably with GRB 980425/SN1998bw, but the
case was still circumstantial until the discovery of GRB 030329 and
spectroscopic follow-up observations of the associated SN2003dh. In
this talk I will describe in some detail these observations from the
last few years, focusing in particular on the clear link between GRB
030329 and SN2003dh. I will also discuss the emerging theoretical
picture, noting what is well understood and what is not. I will
finish by outlining some of the questions raised by this SN-GRB
connection, and the theoretical and observational prospects for
answering them in the near future.Reading material:
``GRBs and Cosmology/Early Star and Galaxy
Formation'' - Jonathan
Devor11. November 26th, 2003 Abstract:
Being the brightest electromagnetic explosions in the universe, GRBs
can be detected, relatively undistorted, out to very high redshifts.
One of the most intriguing possibilities of these high-z GRBs, is that
they may provide much anticipated evidence for the existence of
population III stars at z > 5. In this talk, I will briefly layout
both the history and the current models used for the IMF and evolution
of these early stars. This, in turn, will provide constraints to their
expected discovery by future flux-limited surveys.Reading material:
December 3rd, 2003 (cancelled)
``Other Giant Cosmic Explosions'' - Kamson Lai12. December 10th, 2003 Abstract:
Reading material:
``Technology, SWIFT and Other Future GRB Developments'' - Christopher Pilman13. December 10th, 2003 Abstract:
Since the discovery of Gamma-Ray Bursts, between our understanding of
GRBs and the instruments used to detect them a reciprocal relationship
has existed. I shall cover several themes broadly related to GRB
detection, including past and future technologies used to observe
GRBs, and how observations in wavelengths other than gamma rays are
made. But I shall focus primarily on two topics: the specific events
which led to our current understanding of GRBs (such as detection of
afterglows); and the state of the art in GRB detection, specifically
Swift.Reading material:
Questions or Comments? Send an
e-mail to kstanek@cfa.harvard.edu.