On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ∼ 1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40 − 8 + 8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 M ⊙ . An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ∼ 40 Mpc ) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One-Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ∼10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ∼ 9 and ∼ 16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC 4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta.

Context. We present the second Gaia data release, Gaia DR2, consisting of astrometry, photometry, radial velocities, and information on astrophysical parameters and variability, for sources brighter than magnitude 21. In addition epoch astrometry and photometry are provided for a modest sample of minor planets in the solar system. Aims. A summary of the contents of Gaia DR2 is presented, accompanied by a discussion on the differences with respect to Gaia DR1 and an overview of the main limitations which are still present in the survey. Recommendations are made on the responsible use of Gaia DR2 results. Methods. The raw data collected with the Gaia instruments during the first 22 months of the mission have been processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) and turned into this second data release, which represents a major advance with respect to Gaia DR1 in terms of completeness, performance, and richness of the data products. Results. Gaia DR2 contains celestial positions and the apparent brightness in G for approximately 1.7 billion sources. For 1.3 billion of those sources, parallaxes and proper motions are in addition available. The sample of sources for which variability information is provided is expanded to 0.5 million stars. This data release contains four new elements: broad-band colour information in the form of the apparent brightness in the GBP (330–680 nm) and GRP (630–1050 nm) bands is available for 1.4 billion sources; median radial velocities for some 7 million sources are presented; for between 77 and 161 million sources estimates are provided of the stellar effective temperature, extinction, reddening, and radius and luminosity; and for a pre-selected list of 14 000 minor planets in the solar system epoch astrometry and photometry are presented. Finally, Gaia DR2 also represents a new materialisation of the celestial reference frame in the optical, the Gaia-CRF2, which is the first optical reference frame based solely on extragalactic sources. There are notable changes in the photometric system and the catalogue source list with respect to Gaia DR1, and we stress the need to consider the two data releases as independent. Conclusions. Gaia DR2 represents a major achievement for the Gaia mission, delivering on the long standing promise to provide parallaxes and proper motions for over 1 billion stars, and representing a first step in the availability of complementary radial velocity and source astrophysical information for a sample of stars in the Gaia survey which covers a very substantial fraction of the volume of our galaxy.

Gaia is a cornerstone mission in the science programme of the European Space Agency (ESA). The spacecraft construction was approved in 2006, following a study in which the original interferometric concept was changed to a direct-imaging approach. Both the spacecraft and the payload were built by European industry. The involvement of the scientific community focusses on data processing for which the international Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC) was selected in 2007. Gaia was launched on 19 December 2013 and arrived at its operating point, the second Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth-Moon system, a few weeks later. The commissioning of the spacecraft and payload was completed on 19 July 2014. The nominal five-year mission started with four weeks of special, ecliptic-pole scanning and subsequently transferred into full-sky scanning mode. We recall the scientific goals of Gaia and give a description of the as-built spacecraft that is currently (mid-2016) being operated to achieve these goals. We pay special attention to the payload module, the performance of which is closely related to the scientific performance of the mission. We provide a summary of the commissioning activities and findings, followed by a description of the routine operational mode. We summarise scientific performance estimates on the basis of in-orbit operations. Several intermediate Gaia data releases are planned and the data can be retrieved from the Gaia Archive, which is available through the Gaia home page.

We report extensive observational data for five of the lowest redshift Super-Luminous Type Ic Supernovae (SL-SNe Ic) discovered to date, namely, PTF10hgi, SN2011ke, PTF11rks, SN2011kf, and SN2012il. Photometric imaging of the transients at +50 to +230 days after peak combined with host galaxy subtraction reveals a luminous tail phase for four of these SL-SNe. A high-resolution, optical, and near-infrared spectrum from xshooter provides detection of a broad He i λ10830 emission line in the spectrum (+50 days) of SN2012il, revealing that at least some SL-SNe Ic are not completely helium-free. At first sight, the tail luminosity decline rates that we measure are consistent with the radioactive decay of 56 Co, and would require 1-4 M of 56 Ni to produce the luminosity. These 56 Ni masses cannot be made consistent with the short diffusion times at peak, and indeed are insufficient to power the peak luminosity. We instead favor energy deposition by newborn magnetars as the power source for these objects. A semi-analytical diffusion model with energy input from the spin-down of a magnetar reproduces the extensive light curve data well. The model predictions of ejecta velocities and temperatures which are required are in reasonable agreement with those determined from our observations. We derive magnetar energies of 0.4 E(10 51 erg) 6.9 and ejecta masses of 2.3 M ej (M ) 8.6. The sample of five SL-SNe Ic presented here, combined with SN 2010gx-the best sampled SL-SNe Ic so far-points toward an explosion driven by a magnetar as a viable explanation for all SL-SNe Ic.

Gravitational waves were discovered with the detection of binary black-hole mergers and they should also be detectable from lower-mass neutron-star mergers. These are predicted to eject material rich in heavy radioactive isotopes that can power an electromagnetic signal. This signal is luminous at optical and infrared wavelengths and is called a kilonova. The gravitational-wave source GW170817 arose from a binary neutron-star merger in the nearby Universe with a relatively well confined sky position and distance estimate. Here we report observations and physical modelling of a rapidly fading electromagnetic transient in the galaxy NGC 4993, which is spatially coincident with GW170817 and with a weak, short γ-ray burst. The transient has physical parameters that broadly match the theoretical predictions of blue kilonovae from neutron-star mergers. The emitted electromagnetic radiation can be explained with an ejected mass of 0.04 ± 0.01 solar masses, with an opacity of less than 0.5 square centimetres per gram, at a velocity of 0.2 ± 0.1 times light speed. The power source is constrained to have a power-law slope of -1.2 ± 0.3, consistent with radioactive powering from r-process nuclides. (The r-process is a series of neutron capture reactions that synthesise many of the elements heavier than iron.) We identify line features in the spectra that are consistent with light r-process elements (atomic masses of 90-140). As it fades, the transient rapidly becomes red, and a higher-opacity, lanthanide-rich ejecta component may contribute to the emission. This indicates that neutron-star mergers produce gravitational waves and radioactively powered kilonovae, and are a nucleosynthetic source of the r-process elements.

Literature data are collated for 38 stripped-envelope core-collapse supernovae (SE SNe; i.e. SNe IIb, Ib, Ic and Ic-BL) that have good light curve coverage in more than one optical band. Using bolometric corrections derived in previous work, the bolometric light curve of each SN is recovered and template bolometric light curves provided. Peak light distributions and decay rates are investigated; SNe subtypes are not cleanly distinguished in this parameter space, although some grouping of types does occur and there is a suggestion of a Phillips-like relation for most SNe Ic-BL. The bolometric light curves are modelled with a simple analytical prescription and compared to results from more detailed modelling. Distributions of the explosion parameters shows the extreme nature of SNe Ic-BL in terms of their 56 Ni mass and the kinetic energy, however ejected masses are similar to other subtypes. SNe Ib and Ic have very similar distributions of explosion parameters, indicating a similarity in progenitors. SNe IIb are the most homogeneous subtype and have the lowest average values for 56 Ni mass, ejected mass, and kinetic energy. Ejecta masses for each subtype and SE SNe as a whole are inconsistent with those expected from very massive stars. The majority of the ejecta mass distribution is well described by more moderately massive progenitors in binaries, indicating these are the dominant progenitor channel for SE SNe.

High-quality collections of Type II supernova (SN) light curves are scarce because they evolve for hundreds of days, making follow-up observations time consuming and often extending over multiple observing seasons. In light of these difficulties, the diversity of SNe II is not fully understood. Here we present ultraviolet and optical photometry of 12 SNe II monitored by the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) during 2013-2014, and compare them with previously studied SNe having well-sampled light curves. We explore SN II diversity by searching for correlations between the slope of the linear light-curve decay after maximum light (historically used to divide SNe II into IIL and IIP) and other measured physical properties. While SNe IIL are found to be on average more luminous than SNe IIP, SNe IIL do not appear to synthesize more 56 Ni than SNe IIP. Finally, optical nebular spectra obtained for several SNe in our sample are found to be consistent with models of red supergiant progenitors in the 12-16 M ⊙ range. Consequently, SNe IIL appear not to account for the deficit of massive red supergiants as SN II progenitors.

The high luminosity and slow decline of their light curves ( Fig PTF12dam is not detected in z P1 images on 1 January 2012, 132 days before the peak.Although their light curves match the declining phases of SN 2007bi and the PISN models quite well, PTF12dam and PS1-11ap rise to maximum light a factor of ~2 faster than these models.The spectra of PTF12dam and PS1-11ap show them to be similar supernovae. After 50 days from the respective light curve peaks, these spectra are almost identical to that of SN 2007bi at the same epoch ( Particularly around and after maximum light, PISN colours are expected to evolve to the red owing to increasing blanketing by iron group elements 7,8 abundant in their ejecta. We see no evidence of line blanketing in our spectra, even down to 2,000 Å (rest frame) in PS1-11ap, which suggests lower iron group abundances and a higher degree of ionization than in PISN models. Such conditions are fulfilled in models of ejecta reheated by magnetars-highly magnetic, rapidly rotating nascent pulsars 13,16,17 . The pressure of the magnetar wind on the inner ejecta can form a dense shell 13,14,17 at near-constant photospheric velocity. ForPTF12dam, the velocities of spectral lines are close to 10,000 km s −1 at all times. Intriguingly, Page 4 of 26 the early spectra of our objects are very similar to those of superluminous supernovae of type I (refs 2, 11, 12) and evolve in the same way, but on longer timescales and with lower line velocities (Fig. 2).Nebular modelling of SN 2007bi spectra has been used to argue 1 for large ejected oxygen and magnesium masses of 8-15M ! and 0.07-0.13M ! , respectively (where M ! is the solar mass). Such masses are actually closer to values in massive core-collapse models 18 than in PISN models, which eject ~40M ! oxygen and ~4M ! magnesium 1,8,9 . In the work reported in ref.1, an additional 37M ! in total of Ne, Si, S, and Ar were added to the model, providing a total ejecta mass consistent with a PISN. However, this was not directly measured 1 , because these elements lack any identified lines. These constraints are important, so we investigated line formation in this phase using our own non-local thermodynamic equilibrium code We suggest here one model that can consistently explain the data. A magnetarpowered supernova can produce a light curve with the observed rise and decline rates as the neutron star spins down and reheats the ejecta 13,14,16,17 . It has been suggested that ~10% of core-collapses may form magnetars 14 . Although their initial-spin distribution is unknown, periods ≳1 ms are physically plausible. This mechanism has already been proposed for SN (Fig. 4), and found a good fit for magnetic field B ≈ 10 14 G and spin period P ≈ 2.6 ms, with an ejecta mass of ~10-16M ! . At peak, the r-band luminosities of PTF12dam and PS1-11ap are ~1.5 times that of SN 2007bi. Scaling our light curve by this factor, our model implies a similar ejected mass for SN 2007bi, with a slower-spinning magnetar (P ≈ 3.3 ms), comparable to previous models 14 . If the mag...