Nathan Smith

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on the deaths of very massive stars, the events leading up to their deaths, and how mass loss affects the resulting death, and connecting these observed properties of the explosions to the initial masses of their progenitor stars is an enduring challenge.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors review recent progress on understanding eruptions of unstable massive stars, with particular attention to the diversity of observed behavior in extragalatic optical transient sources.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors conducted HST Snapshot observations of the Type IIb Supernova (SN) 2011dh in M51 at an age of ~641 days with the Wide Field Camera 3.

TL;DR: In this paper, photometry and spectroscopy of the peculiar Type II supernova SN 2010jp, also named PTF10aaxi, were presented, showing an unprecedented triple-peaked Hα line profile, showing: a narrow central component that suggests shock interaction with a dense circumstellar medium (CSM); high-velocity blue and red emission features centered at −12,600 and +15,400 km s−1; and very broad wings extending from −22,000 to +25,000 km s −1.

TL;DR: In this paper, the spectral characteristics of η Carinae during the Great Eruption of the mid-1800s were analyzed, and the line content was found to be similar to that of G supergiant stars.