NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2012B-0552
|
NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2012B-0552 |
|
PI: Mark Sullivan, University of Oxford, sullivan@astro.ox.ac.uk
Address: Department of Physics, Astrophysics, Nuclear and Astrophysics Laboratory, Keble Road, Oxford, OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
CoI: D. Andrew Howell, Las Cumbres Observatory / UC Santa Barbara
CoI: Isobel Hook, University of Oxford
CoI: Yen-Chen Pan, University of Oxford
CoI: Peter Nugent, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
CoI: Kate Maguire, University of Oxford
Title: The host galaxies of local PTF Type Ia supernovae
Abstract:
The discovery of correlations between Type Ia Supernova (SN Ia) peak
luminosity and the parameters defining their host galaxy stellar populations
has important implications for their use as standardised candles. Using new
samples of low-redshift SNe Ia located with the Palomar Transient Factory
(PTF), a rolling transient search in the local universe, we finish our
campaign to study in detail the host galaxies in which SNe Ia explode. We aim
to establish which physical variable (metallicity or age) primarily drives
the SN Ia luminosity variations using high signal-to-noise spectroscopy of
their environments. These data will also place tighter constraints on the
nature of their progenitor systems. Evolution in SN Ia properties is now the
largest single astrophysical systematic in SN Ia cosmology, with host
galaxies playing a critical role in cosmological studies, and detailed study
of their environments provides a realistic opportunity to improve their use
for studying dark energy. We give a status report on the progress of this
program to date, and demonstrate the feasibility of our study using our
observations from earlier semesters.
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360
|
NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2012B-0552 |
|