last update: December 3, 2013
 

HISTORICAL OBSERVATIONS OF SUPERNOVAE

In collaboration with FRANCESCO POLCARO




LIII Congress of the Società Astronomica Italiana (S.A.It.), L'Universo quattro secoli dopo Galileo, Pisa 4-8 May, 2009

Talk: GRB 080319b and SN1054
Abstract: A typical SN Type IIp model can fit the SN1054 explosion light curve when data coming from European sources are also considered.  Though a detailed study of these texts reveals a number of problems in their precise datation, it is likely that they actually describe the observation of an unusual celestial event which occurred in a day near to the one of the Pope Leo IX death (April 19th, 1054). In particular, they seem to show that a very bright transient celestial phenomenon, lasting about 30 min, was observed. We already suggested that this Medieval testimonies were due to a very short and bright light flash in the first phase of the SN precursor collapse. The discovery of  a similar flash in GRB 080319b brought us to consider this hypothesis more deeply. We thus scaled the intensity of the GRB 080319b to the typical energy of a Type IIp SN and to a distance of 1.83 kpc, in order to evaluate the intensity of a similar flash in the SN1054. We then took this value as input of the atmospheric optical effects simulation code “HaloSim3”, using the point-like source option for the dates and sites reported in European texts connected with the SN1054 event, and in various atmospheric conditions. The results are remarkably similar to the effects reported in Medieval chronicles.
Proceedings contribution:
Martocchia, A., Polcaro, V.F. (2010): GRB 080319b and SN1054, Mem.S.A.It. (Suppl.), 14, 242-245 - scarica da questo server



VII Annual Symposium of the Italian Society for Archeoastronomy (S.I.A.) Mensura Coeli, Ferrara (Italy), 17-18 October, 2008

Poster: Chi l'ha vista? CasA, un resto di supernova inspiegato
Abstract: Il resto di supernova (SN) denominato CasA mostra chiaramente di esser stato generato in una esplosione avvenuta in epoca recente. Studi di carattere dinamico fanno supporre che l'età del resto possa essere di soli 300 anni circa: l'esplosione dovrebbe quindi essere avvenuta nel corso del XVII secolo, periodo storico che vide una intensa attività ad opera di numerosi astronomi europei, mentre ancora nell'Impero Cinese operavano gli specialisti dell'Ufficio astronomico imperiale. Tuttavia, a parte l’indiretta e controversa, possibile segnalazione nel catalogo di Flamsteed, nessuna nuova stella fu più registrata dopo quella vista nel 1602 tra gli altri da Keplero il cui resto, ben noto, si trova in tutt'altra zona del cielo. Sono stati elaborati numerosi modelli che cercano di spiegare la mancata osservazione dell'esplosione di CasA; nessuno di questi è però completamente soddisfacente. In questo lavoro intendiamo presentare un'ipotesi differente. Un passaggio della storia dinastica cinese Chin Shu riporta la apparizione di una stella ospite in una posizione compatibile con quella di CasA nel 369 dC. Questa testimonianza non è stata fino ad ora presa in considerazione a causa della mancanza di conferme da altre fonti. Tuttavia una nostra analisi di opere di arte paleocristiana risalenti allo stesso periodo mostra l'esistenza di un appariscente fenomeno celeste anche nel cielo di Roma, confermando così la realtà della testimonianza cinese. Se questa diversa identificazione fosse corretta, l'esplosione del progenitore di CasA sarebbe avvenuta circa 1300 anni prima della data fino ad ora stimata; meccanismi di carattere fisico avrebbero poi accelerato l'espansione del resto di SN. Diversamente, ciò che resta  dell’evento del 369 dC attende ancora di essere scoperto.

Contributo agli Atti del Convegno:
Martocchia, A., Polcaro, V.F. (2009): Chi l'ha vista? CasA, un resto di supernova inspiegato, submitted



Fifth Italian Meeting on Compact Objects Astrophysics (CNOC V), San Vito Lo Capo (Italy), 11-14 September, 2007

Talk: SN 185 and its Proposed Remnants
Abstract: After Clark and Stephenson (1977), on the basis of some positional information given by the ancient text Houhan-shu, proposed to identify the SN remnant G315.4-2.3 (RCW 86) with the historical SN seen by Chinese observers in the year 185 of the modern era, a lot of work has been done by theoreticians and observers to test the hypothesis.
This identification is challenged, in particular, by the absence of any observed plerion in RCW 86. Several authors proposed the SNR G320.4-1.2 (RCW 89) as a better candidate, while, on the basis of a reinterpretation of the Houhan-shu, even the very nature of the AD 185 event was questioned, leading to the hypothesis that Chinese observers had actually witnessed a comet transit (Chin & Huang, 1994) or a combination of the transit of comet P/Swift-Tuttle with a Nova apparition (Schaefer; 1995, 1996). Evidences supporting these different hypothesis will be presented.

(with V.F. Polcaro)


SEAC 2007 Conference, Astronomy and Cosmology in Folk Traditions and Cultural Heritage, Klaipeda (Lithuania), 22 -31 July, 2007


Talk: Were the 185 a.d. and 369 a.d. “guest stars” seen in Rome?
Abstract: Since Clark and Stephenson (1977) proposed that the supernova remnant (SNR) G315.4-2.3 should be identified with the historical supernova (SN) seen by Chinese observers in the year A.D. 185, a great deal of work has been done by theoreticians and observers to test the hypothesis. Some authors have proposed the SNR G320.4-1.2 as a better candidate, while, on the basis of a reinterpretation of the Houhan-shu original text, even the very nature of the A.D. 185 event has been questioned, leading to the hypotheses of a cometary transit (Chin and Huang 1994) or a combination of Comet P/Swift-Tuttle and a nova (Schaefer 1995, 1996). In fact, a cometary transit was apparently registered in one of the Priscilla Catacomb frescoes, an ancient Roman artwork dating from the end of the second century. During our examinations of Roman Catacomb frescoes in an attempt to discover representations of "guest star" apparitions in Imperial Rome, we also discovered what seems to be a record of SN 369, indicating that this may have been the explosion which originated Cas A.
Proceedings contribution:
Polcaro, V.F., Martocchia, A. (2008): Were the 185 a.d. and 369 a.d. “guest stars” seen in Rome? [IV. ASTRONOMICAL AND COSMOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN HISTORICAL SOURCES AND LITERATURE.], Archaeologia Baltica, Institute of Baltic Sea region history and archaeology, Klaipėda University Press, 10, 94-98

Talk: 11th Century Supernovae: another way to read the Medieval sources?
Abstract: The supernova explosions of 1006 AD and 1054 AD are, probably, the astronomical events most deeply studied by means of an analysis of historical sources. But contradictions are still present in several sources concerning SN 1054 and ther is not consistency  between historical records and astronomical data. This short analysis has the aim to underline all these aspects.
Proceedings contribution:
Ghignoli, A., Martocchia, A., Polcaro, V.F. (2008): Eleventh Century Supernovae: another way to read the Medieval sources?, Archaeologia Baltica, Institute of Baltic Sea region history and archaeology, Klaipėda University Press, 10, 110-113



XXVI Congresso Nazionale di Storia della Fisica e dell'Astronomia (SISFA 2006), Roma, 15-17 Giugno 2006

Abstract del TalkAstrofisica delle Supernovae a partire da documenti medioevali

Contributo agli Atti del Convegno:
Polcaro, V.F., Martocchia, A. (2007): Le Supernovae nei documenti medioevali, in stampa

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PROCEEDING CONTRIBUTION for the 230th IAU Symposium

Polcaro, V.F., Martocchia, A. (2006), Supernovae astrophysics from Middle Age documents, in: Proc. of the IAU Symposium no.230, Populations of High Energy Sources in Galaxies, Dublin (Ireland), August 15-19, 2005. Evert J.A. Meurs & G. Fabbiano, eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006, pp.264-268

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