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18 Years of Science with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory's Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope

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A special issue of Universe (ISSN 2218-1997). This special issue belongs to the section "Space Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2023) | Viewed by 8843

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Peter Roming

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Southwest Research Institute, Space Science Division, San Antonio, TX 78228, USA
Interests: core collapse supernovae; gamma ray bursts (GRBs); kilonovae; multi-messenger astronomy; ultraviolet-to-infrared astronomical instrumentation

Dr. Michael Siegel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Interests: hot stars; stellar populations; local group galaxies; gamma ray bursts (GRBs); variable stars

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory’s Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) began collecting science data in late 2004. Since that time, it has become a workhorse ultraviolet instrument in the international astrophysics community. Although the primary purpose of UVOT is time-domain astronomy (TDA), its utility as an ultraviolet instrument outside of TDA science has been abundantly demonstrated. This Special Issue reviews the range of TDA (e.g., supernovae, active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts, novae) and non-TDA (e.g., dust extinction, comets, galaxy evolution) science accomplished with the UVOT. It also examines potential research directions and the necessary tools required to pursue these new exploration paths.

The focus of this Special Issue is to highlight the importance of the UV to TDA and non-TDA science. The scope of this Issue is to review the work accomplished with the UVOT in different areas of astrophysics (Type Ia and core-collapse SNe, quasars/blazars, long and short GRBs, kilonovae, dust extinction, comets, tidal disruption events, science with UV grisms, galaxy evolution, and novae) and to detail the importance of the UV in advancing the respective science area. Ultimately, the purpose of the Issue is to look back at the past and advocate a path forward. This Issue will be a one-stop review of the work done with UVOT over the last 18 years.

Dr. Peter Roming
Dr. Michael Siegel
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Universe is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

ultraviolet
swift
UVOT
time-domain astronomy
supernovae
gamma-ray bursts
dust extinction
novae
active galactic nuclei
comets

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 2034 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Swift Response to Newly Discovered, Nearby Transients

by Peter J. Brown, Macie Robertson, Yaswant Devarakonda, Emily Sarria, David Pooley and Maximilian D. Stritzinger

Universe 2023, 9(5), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe9050218 - 3 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1222

Abstract

The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has proven to be an extraordinary supernova (SN) observatory. The clearest application of Swift’s unique strengths is obtaining very early UV and X-ray data of young SNe, which enables robust constraints on their progenitor systems. As part of a year-long Swift Guest Investigator Key Project, we initiated a follow-up program to rapidly observe all of the nearest (distance < 35 Mpc or roughly z < 0.008) extragalactic transients without waiting for them to be spectroscopically classified as supernovae. Among the possible results were to measure any UV-bright radiative cooling following the shock breakout from core-collapse SNe and shock emission from the interaction of thermonuclear Type Ia SNe with a non-degenerate companion. Just as importantly, uniformly following up and analyzing a significant sample can constrain the fraction of events for which the shock emission is not seen. Here we present the UV and X-ray measurements performed during our campaign. Our sample of 24 observed triggers included three SNe Ia, six SNe II, three stripped-envelope, core-collapse SNe, five galactic transients, three extragalactic SN imposters, and four unconfirmed transients. For our sample, the median delay time from the discovery image to the first Swift image was 1.45 days. We tabulate the X-ray upper limits and find they are sufficiently deep to have detected objects as X-ray luminous as GRB060218/SN2006aj. Other X-ray-detected SNe such as SNe 2006bp, 2008D, and 2011dh would have been detectable in some of the observations. We highlight the spectroscopically classified Type II SN 2018hna with UV-optical light curves indicating a luminosity and flux evolution very similar to SN 1987A. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 18 Years of Science with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory's Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope)

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22 pages, 872 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ultraviolet and X-ray Light-Curves of Novae Observed by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory

by Kim L. Page, N. Paul M. Kuin and Julian P. Osborne

Universe 2022, 8(12), 643; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe8120643 - 4 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1263

Abstract

With rapid response capabilities, and a daily planning of its observing schedule, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is ideal for monitoring transient and variable sources. Here we present a sample of the 12 novae with the most detailed ultraviolet (UV) follow-up by Swift—the first uniform analysis of such UV light-curves. The fading of these specific light-curves can be modelled as power-law decays (plotting magnitude against log time), showing that the same physical processes dominate the UV emission for extended time intervals in individual objects. After the end of the nuclear burning interval, the X-ray emission drops significantly, fading by a factor of around 10–100. The UV changes, however, are of a lower amplitude, declining by 1–2 mag over the same time period. The UV light-curves typically show a break from flatter to steeper around the time at which the X-ray light-curve starts a steady decline from maximum, ∼0.7–1.3 T

_{SSSend}

. Considering populations of both classical and recurrent novae, and those with main sequence or giant companions, we do not find any strong differences in the UV light-curves or their evolution, although the long-period recurrent novae are more luminous than the majority of the classical novae. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 18 Years of Science with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory's Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope)

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Review

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28 pages, 973 KiB

Open AccessReview

Contributions of the Swift/UV Optical Telescope to the Study of Short Gamma-ray Bursts

by M. De Pasquale

Universe 2024, 10(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe10010005 - 22 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1153

Abstract

Before the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, we knew little about short-duration Gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs). Their briefness led to the suspicion that they resulted from mergers of compact objects, e.g., two neutron stars or a neutron star and a black hole. However, proof was lacking. sGRB post-prompt emission, or afterglow, was undetected; thus, we could not apply essential investigation tools. Swift was the first to pinpoint sGRB afterglows. sGRBs were found to differ from long GRBs in terms of host galaxies, offset from host, environment, energy and progenitors. The Swift UV/Optical Telescope (UVOT) has greatly contributed to these discoveries with its unique combination of fast repointing capabilities and UV sensitivity. But the long-sought proof of the sGRB–merger connection arrived in 2017. The gravitational signal GW 170817A caused by two NSs collision was associated with sGRB 170817A. Swift/UVOT discovered that its early optical emission was—unusually for GRB afterglows—thermal. It was interpreted as an emission from the merger’s hot debris: the kilonova. Kilonovae have seemingly been found in other sGRBs and—puzzingly—in long GRBs. Over almost 20 years, Swift/UVOT observations have also been pivotal to understanding peculiar events. In this review, I will summarize UVOT’s major contributions in the fields highlighted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 18 Years of Science with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory's Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope)

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24 pages, 598 KiB

Open AccessReview

Eighteen Years of Kilonova Discoveries with Swift

by Eleonora Troja

Universe 2023, 9(6), 245; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe9060245 - 23 May 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1118

Abstract

Swift has now completed 18 years of mission, during which it discovered thousands of gamma-ray bursts as well as new classes of high-energy transient phenomena. Its first breakthrough result was the localization of short duration GRBs, which enabled for redshift measurements and kilonova searches. Swift, in synergy with the Hubble Space Telescope and a wide array of ground-based telescopes, provided the first tantalizing evidence of a kilonova in the aftermath of a short GRB. In 2017, Swift observations of the gravitational wave event GW170817 captured the early UV photons from the kilonova AT2017gfo, opening a new window into the physics of kilonovae. Since then, Swift has continued to expand the sample of known kilonovae, leading to the surprising discovery of a kilonova in a long duration GRB. This article will discuss recent advances in the study of kilonovae driven by the fundamental contribution of Swift. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 18 Years of Science with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory's Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope)

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29 pages, 1316 KiB

Open AccessReview

Swift/UVOT: 18 Years of Long GRB Discoveries and Advances

by Sam Oates

Universe 2023, 9(3), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe9030113 - 22 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1860

Abstract

The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory (Swift) has been in operation for 18 years. The Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) onboard Swift was designed to capture the earliest optical/UV emission from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), spanning the first few minutes to days after the prompt gamma-ray emission. In this article, we provide an overview of the long GRBs (whose prompt gamma-ray duration is >2 s) observed by the Swift/UVOT, and review the major discoveries that have been achieved by the Swift/UVOT over the last 18 years. We discuss where improvements have been made to our knowledge and understanding of the optical/UV emission, particularly the early optical/UV afterglow. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 18 Years of Science with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory's Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope)

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15 pages, 1588 KiB

Open AccessReview

Neil Gehrels–Swift Observatory’s Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope Observations of Small Bodies in the Solar System

by Dennis Bodewits, Zexi Xing, Mohammad Saki and Jeffrey P. Morgenthaler

Universe 2023, 9(2), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe9020078 - 31 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1374

Abstract

The Neil–Gehrels Swift Observatory has added extensively to our understanding of small bodies in our solar system through its capabilities to rapidly respond to short-live events such as outbursts and collisions, through its near-ultraviolet coverage, and by its ability to track time-dependent changes through monitoring campaigns. These capabilities have enabled many significant studies, including the onset and evolution of different sources of water in comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd), the unprecedented changes in the rotation period of comet 41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák, near-UV spectroscopic observations of asteroids that can help us understand how their properties evolve over time, and the first observations of the aftermath of a collision between a 100 m sized asteroid and the large primitive asteroid 596 (Scheila). In this review paper, we will highlight some of the observational results of Swift-UVOT in the field of small-body research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 18 Years of Science with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory's Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope)

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