Superluminous supernovae are beginning to be discovered at redshifts as early as the epoch of reionisation. A number of candidate mechanisms is reviewed, together with the discovery programmes.

The high Antarctic plateau provides exceptional conditions for infrared observations on account of the cold, dry and stable atmosphere above the ice surface. This paper describes the scientific goals behind the first program to examine the time-varying universe in the infrared from Antarctica — the Kunlun Infrared Sky Survey (KISS). This will employ a 50cm telescope to monitor the southern skies in the 2.4μmKdark window from China's Kunlun station at Dome A, on the summit of the Antarctic plateau, through the uninterrupted 4-month period of winter darkness. An earlier paper discussed optimisation of the Kdark filter for sensitivity (Li et al. 2016). This paper examines the scientific program for KISS. We calculate the sensitivity of the camera for the extrema of observing conditions that will be encountered. We present the parameters for sample surveys that could then be carried out for a range of cadences and sensitivities. We then discuss several science programs that could be conducted with these capabilities, involving star formation, brown dwarfs and hot Jupiters, exoplanets around M dwarfs, the terminal phases of stellar evolution, fast transients, embedded supernova searches, reverberation mapping of AGN, gamma ray bursts and the detection of the cosmic infrared background.

The Kunlun Infrared Sky Survey will be the first comprehensive exploration of the time varying Universe in the infrared. A key feature in optimising the scientific yield of this ambitious research programme is the choice of the survey passband. In particular, the survey aims to maximally exploit the unique thermal and atmospheric conditions pertaining to the high Antarctic site. By simulating the expected signal-to-noise for varying filter properties within the so-called ‘K DARK’ 2.4 μm window, filter performance can be tuned and best-case designs are given covering a range of conditions.

At the summit of the Antarctic plateau, Dome A offers an intriguing location for future large scale optical astronomical observatories. The Gattini Dome A project was created to measure the optical sky brightness and large area cloud cover of the winter-time sky above this high altitude Antarctic site. The wide field camera and multi-filter system was installed on the PLATO instrument module as part of the Chinese-led traverse to Dome A in January 2008. This automated wide field camera consists of an Apogee U4000 interline CCD coupled to a Nikon fisheye lens enclosed in a heated container with glass window. The system contains a filter mechanism providing a suite of standard astronomical photometric filters (Bessell B, V, R) and a long-pass red filter for the detection and monitoring of airglow emission. The system operated continuously throughout the 2009, and 2011 winter seasons and part-way through the 2010 season, recording long exposure images sequentially for each filter. We have in hand one complete winter-time dataset (2009) returned via a manned traverse. We present here the first measurements of sky brightness in the photometric V band, cloud cover statistics measured so far and an estimate of the extinction.

HRCAM (High Resolution CAMera) is a Canon 50D 15-megapixel digital SLR camera equipped with a Sigma 4.5 mm f/2.8 fish-eye lens. It was installed at Dome A on the Antarctic plateau in January 2010 and photographs the sky every 15 minutes. Primarily functioning as a site-testing instrument, data obtained from HRCAM provide valuable statistics on cloud cover, sky transparency and the distribution and frequency of auroral activity. We present a first look at data from HRCAM during 2010, including an overview of how we intend to reduce the images. We also demonstrate the potential of stellar photometry by using linear combinations of the in-built Canon RGB filters to convert instrumental magnitudes into the photometric BVR bands.

In 2008 January the 24th Chinese expedition team successfully deployed the Chinese Small Telescope ARray (CSTAR) to Dome A, the highest point on the Antarctic plateau. CSTAR consists of four 14.5cm optical telescopes, each with a different filter (g, r, i and open) and has a 4.5°×4.5° field of view (FOV). Based on the CSTAR data, initial statistics of astronomical observational site quality and light curves of variable objects were obtained. To reach higher photometric quality, we are continuing to work to overcome the effects of uneven cirrus cloud cirrus, optical “ghosts” and intra-pixel sensitivity. The snow surface stability is also tested for further astronomical observational instrument and for glaciology studies.

Despite the absence of artificial light pollution at Antarctic plateau sites such as Dome A, other factors such as airglow, aurorae and extended periods of twilight have the potential to adversely affect optical observations. We present a statistical analysis of the airglow and aurorae at Dome A using spectroscopic data from Nigel, an optical/near-IR spectrometer operating in the 300–850 nm range. The median auroral contribution to the B, V and R photometric bands is found to be 22.9, 23.4 and 23.0 mag arcsec−2 respectively. We are also able to quantify the amount of annual dark time available as a function of wavelength; on average twilight ends when the Sun reaches a zenith distance of 102.6°.

From theoretical analysis and site testing work for 4 years on Dome A, Antarctica, we can reasonably predict that it is a very good astronomical site, as good as or even better than Dome C and suitable for observations ranging from optical to infrared & sub-mm wavelengths. After the Chinese Small Telescope ARray (CSTAR), which was composed of four small fixed telescopes with diameter of 145mm and the three Antarctic Survey Telescopes (AST3) with 500mm entrance diameter, the Kunlun Dark Universe Survey Telescope (KDUST) with diameter of 2.5m is proposed. KDUST will adopt an innovative optical system which can deliver very good image quality over a 2 square degree flat field of view. Some other features are: a fixed focus suitable for different instruments, active optics for miscollimation correction, a lens-prisms that can be used as an atmospheric dispersion corrector or as a very low-dispersion spectrometer when moved in / out of the main optical path without changing the performance of the system, and a compact structure to make easier transportation to Dome A. KDUST will be mounted on a tower with height 15m in order to make a full use of the superb free atmospheric seeing.

We present a measurement of the rate of high-z Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) using multi-epoch observations of Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Field (SXDF) with Suprime-Cam on the Subaru Telescope. Although SNe Ia are regarded as a standard candle, progenitor systems of SNe Ia have not been resolved yet. One of the key parameters to show the progenitor systems by observations is the delay time distribution between the binary system formation and subsequent SN explosion. Recently, a wide range of delay time is studied by SN Ia rates compared with an assumed cosmic star formation history. If SNe Ia with short delay time are dominant, the cosmic SN Ia rate evolution should closely trace that of the cosmic star formation. In order to detect a lot of high-z SNe Ia and measure SN Ia rates, we repeatedly carried out wide and deep imaging observations in the í-band with Suprime-Cam in 2002 (FoV~1 deg2, mi < 25.5 mag). We obtained detailed light curves of the variable objects, and 50 objects are classified as SNe Ia using the light curve fitting method at the redshift range of 0.2 < z < 1.3. In order to check the completeness and contamination of the light curve classification method, we performed Monte Carlo simulations and generated ~100,000 light curves of SNe Ia and II from templates. The control time and detection efficiency of the SN survey are also calculated using the artificial light curves. We derived an increasing trend of rates at around z ~ 1.2. Our results are almost consistent with other SN Ia rate results from low-z to high-z. Our results are the first results of high-z SN Ia rates with large statistics using light curves obtained by ground based telescopes, and give us visions of the SN rate studies for the future.

The Supernova Working Group was re-established at the IAU XXV General Assembly in Sydney, 21 July 2003, sponsored by Commissions 28 (Galaxies) and 47 (Cosmology). Here we report on some of its activities since 2005.

Spectropolarimetry has a broad spectrum of applications, for which there are mostly no substitute observing techniques. They range from the measurement of the strength and structure of magnetic fields via the detection of scattered light from sources obscured by high-density matter or lost in the glare of a nearby bright object to the possibility of individual corrections to the intrinsic luminosities of far-away Type Ia supernovae - and many more. First reconnaissance projects have succeeded with 10m-class telescopes. But the application and extension of the insights gained require substantially larger telescopes. An ELT would in particular enable studies of the formation of structure (AGNs, $\gamma$-ray bursts) in early phases of the universe. At the large distances an ELT will reach, the spatial resolution of point sources, even though only at a very low level, will eventually beat any interferometer. Low cost, the possibility to exploit also not perfectly photometric nights, and the $D^4$ sensitivity of background-limited observations of point sources to telescope diameter are other strong assets.

Core collapse supernovae (SN) are the final stages of stellar evolution in massive stars during which the central region collapses, forms a neutron star (NS), and the outer layers are ejected. Recent explosion scenarios assumed that the ejection is due to energy deposition by neutrinos into the envelope, but detailed models do not produce powerful explosions. There is new and mounting evidence for an asphericity and, in particular, for axial symmetry in several supernovae which may be hard to reconcile within the spherical picture. This evidence includes the observed high polarization and its variation with time, pulsar kicks, high velocity iron-group and intermediate-mass elements material observed in remnants, direct observations of the debris of SN 1987A, etc. Some of the new evidence is discussed in more detail. To be in agreement with the observations, any successful mechanism must invoke some sort of axial symmetry for the explosion. We consider jet-induced/dominated explosions of core collapse supernovae. Our study is based on detailed 3-d hydrodynamical and radiation transport models. We find that the observations can be explained by low velocity, massive jets which stall well within the SN envelope. Such outflows may be produced by MHD-mechanisms, convective dominated accretion disks on the central object or asymmetric neutrino emissions. Asymmetric density/chemical distributions and, for SN 2002ap, off-center energy depositions have been identified as crucial for the interpretation of the polarization.

The environment of the SN1987A is quite complex but also very regularly structured. Detailed analyses of direct images taken under good seeing conditions (0.3—0.8 arcsec) from the European Southern Observatory (ESO)'s New Technology Telescope (NTT) show that there are two nebular loops within the 3 arcsec environment of the SN. The inner loop is elliptical in shape. The kinematics of this loop as revealed by spectroscopic data with a spectral resolving power λ/Δλ « 30 000 provide further clues for the three dimensional structure of these two loops. The data show that the overall structure of the nebulosity can be understood by an hourglass-shaped shell with significant mass enhancement on its equatorial plane. A diffuse nebulosity called Napoleon's Hat is observed at a distance of about 5 arcsec to the north of the SN. It showed little size evolution since the first observation on Aug. 1989, until it disappeared on Jan, 1992. The Napoleon's Hat nebula appears to be a bow-shock coming from an interaction between the supernova progenitor's stellar wind and the interstellar medium, as the supernova progenitor moved through the interstellar medium with a velocity of around 5 kms-1. On an even larger scale, there is a huge dark bay of size around 100 arcsec in diameter, we suggested that this bay was also formed by interactions between the supernova progenitor and the interstellar medium.

The narrow emission lines indicate that the electron density and temperature of the emission gas in the loops are steadily decreasing. However, the temperatures inferred from the [OIII] nebular lines remained persistently higher than 2 × 104K. They were around 104cm−3 and 2 × 104K on Aug. 30, 1990. In addition, a global difference in the electron density of the two major axis of the inner loop is observed in the images and spectra taken five years after the supernova explosion. We have also studied the two neighboring stars surrounding the supernova. We find that star 2 is a B star with Hα and Hβ emission lines.

The supernova circumstellar nebulosity is remarkably similar to certain types of planetary nebula, e.g. NGC2392. Asymmetric wind interaction models for the formation of planetary nebula are applied to produce a model in the form of an hourglass shaped shell. This model invokes both a slow wind while the star was in its red supergiant phase and a fast wind during the later blue supergiant stage before explosion. Although such wind interaction models fit the observed nebular structures satisfactorily, they are so idealized that they tell us little about the origin of the seed asymmetry or the amount of seed asymmetry needed to produce the observed real nebula.

Following Kahn & West (1985), we investigate the formation of PNe in the slow and fast wind interaction scheme by assuming the slow wind axially symmetric. We have further assumed that the mass loss rate for the slow wind is not steady. It is found that the final morphology of the nebula depends not only upon the initial degrees of the seed asymmetry in the slow wind, but also upon the time variations of the mass loss rate. As an example, we show in some detail the case where the central star first blows an axially symmetric slow wind during its red giant stage, this wind is followed by a superwind while the star is on the AGB, these slow wind is later overtaken and shaped by the fast wind during the post-AGB branch. It is found that a small initial asymmetry can be amplified and reproduces the various observed morphologies of the PNe.