Shedding Light on Dark Energy with Standard Candles: Advancing the Cosmological Utlity and Understanding of Type Ia Supernovae

Sapere Aude Level II Funded Research Project
Project ID: 0602-02197B _FNU_ØVRIGT
Funding Period: October 2012 - April 2017
PI Associate Professor Maximilian Stritzinger
at the
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Aarhus University
Aarhus, Danmark


Tel:       +45 8715-6619
Fax:      +45 8612-0740
Email:  max--@--phys.au.dk

Project Summary

Type Ia supernovae (SN-Ia) provided the first direct evidence for the existence of dark energy, and will play a pivotal role in mapping out the expansion history of the Universe. To be successfully exploited in next-generation experiments, aimed at characterizing the time-evolution of dark energy and the eventual fate of the Universe, SN-Ia distances must reach percent level accuracy. This project presents a multi-pronged strategy that uses the most accurate dataset of nearby SN-Ia yet obtained (by the Carnegie Supernova Project) to achieve this level of accuracy. A strong emphasis is also placed to elucidate the nature of their progenitor stars and how they explode with the hope to further improve upon their utility for measuring cosmic distances.

Researchers

  • PI Maximilian Stritzinger
  • Research Assistant Simon Holmbo 2017
  • Postdoc Mikkel Nielsen 2016-2017
  • Postdoc Christa Gall 2013-2017
  • Postdoc Eric Hsiao 2014-2015
  • Postdoc Carlos Contreras 2013-2014
  • Master Students: Sune Drybye 2016-2017 (SN imposters), Nanna Bill 2015-2016 (SN 2010jl), Simon Holmbo 2015-2016 (SN Ib/c spectrscopy), Rasmus Laursen 2015-2016 (superluminous SN 2015bn)
  • Bachelor Students: Rasmus Laursen (Optical and near-IR light curves of SNe Ib/c observed by the Carnegie Supernova Project II), Sune Dyrbye (SN imposters observed by the Carnegie Supernova Project I), Lasse Nielsen (The Type IaX supernova 2013gr), Mattias Bojsen-Hansen (Detailed study of the Type IIn supernova SN 2013L), Camilla Borre (The peculiar Type Ia supernova 2010kg), Kenneth Andersen 2015-2016 (Reddening and NIR observations of SNe Ia), Rasmus Krog (The overluminous Type Ia supernova 2016gxp), Ida Madsen (Near-IR spectroscopic observations of the peculiar Type Ib supernova 2016adj hosted in Centaurus A)

    Refereed Publications Supported in full or in part by my FNU Sapere Level II Grant

    • 2018: 5 published, project ended and Villum project running.
  • Contreras et al. 2018, ApJ, 859, 24 : SN 2012fr: Ultraviolet, Optical, and Near-Infrared Light Curves of a Type Ia Supernova Observed Within a Day of First Light
  • Mazzali et al., 2018, MNRAS, 476, 2905: The nebular spectra of the transitional Type Ia Supernovae 2007on and 2011iv: broad, multiple components indicate aspherical explosion cores
  • Ashall et al. 2018, MNRAS, 477, 153: Abundance Tomography of the fast-declining type Ia supernovae SN 2007on and 2011iv
  • Lyman et al. 2018, MNRAS, 473, 1359: Investigating the diversity of supernovae type Iax: A MUSE and NOT spectroscopic study of their environments
  • Gall et al. 2017, A&A, 611, 58: Two transitional type Ia supernovae located in the Fornax cluster member NGC 1404: SN 2007on and SN 2011iv

    2017: 14 published
  • Gutierrez et al. 2017, ApJ, 850, 90: Type II Supernova Spectral Diversity. Paper II: Spectroscopic and Photometeric Correlations
  • Gutierrez et al. 2017, ApJ, 850, 89: Type II Supernova Spectral Diversity. Paper I: Observations, Sample Characterization and Spectral Line Evolution
  • Holoien et al. 2017, MNRAS, 471, 4966: The ASAS-SN Bright Supernova Catalog -- III. 2016
  • Krisciunas et al. 2017, AJ, 154, 211: The Carnegie Supernova Project I: Third Photometry Data Release of Low-Redshift Type Ia Supernovae and Other White Dwarf Explosions
  • Hosseinzadeh et al., 2017, ApJ Letters, 854, 11: Early Blue Excess from the Type Ia Supernova 2017cbv and Implications for its Progenitor
  • Jiang et al. 2017, Nature, 550, 80: A Hybrid Type Ia Supernova with Early Flash -- The Smoking Gun of Helium-Detonation Trigger
  • Hoeflich et al. 2017, ApJ, 846, 58: Light Curve Properties of Type Ia Supernovae: Theory vs. Observations or Taking the Magic out of CMAGIC, Twins, and other Flukes of Nature
  • Kangas et al. 2017, MNRAS, 469, 1246: Gaia16apd -- a link between fast-and slowly-declining type I superluminous supernovae
  • Thoene et al. 2017, A&A, 599, 129: SN 2015bh: NGC 2770's 4th supernova or a luminous blue variable on its way to a Wolf-Rayet star?
  • Leloudas et al. 2017, ApJ Letters, 837, 14: Polarimetry of the superluminous SN 2015bn with the Nordic Optical Telescope
  • Brown et al. 2017, ApJ, 836, 232: Reddened, Redshifted, or Intrinsically Red? Understanding Near-Ultraviolet Colors of Type Ia supernovae
  • Tartaglia et al. 2017, ApJ Letters, 836, 12: The progenitor and early evolution of the Type IIb SN 2016gkg
  • de Jaeger et al. 2017, ApJ, 835, 166: A Type II Supernova Hubble diagram from the CSP-I, SDSS-II, and SNLS surveys
  • Pian et al. 2017, MNRAS, 466, 1848: Optical photometry and spectroscopy of the low-luminosity, broad-lined Ic supernova iPTF15dld

    2016 (12 refereed papers)
  • Foley et al. 2016, MNRAS, 461, 1308: Ultraviolet Diversity of Type Ia Supernovae
  • Takats et al. 2016, MNRAS, 460, 3447: Optical photometry and spectroscopy of the 1987A-like supernova 2009mw
  • Sand et al. 2016, ApJ Letters, 822L, 16: Post-maximum Near-infrared Spectra of SN 2014J: A Search for Interaction Signatures
  • Cao et al. 2016, ApJ, 823, 147: Absence of Fast-moving Iron in an Intermediate Type Ia Supernova Between Normal and Super-Chandrasekhar
  • Tomasella et al. 2016, MNRAS, 459, 1018: Optical and near infrared observations of SN 2014ck: an outlier among the Type Iax supernovae
  • Valenti et al. 2016, MNRAS, 459, 3939: The Diversity of Type II Supernova vs. The Similarity in Their Progenitors
  • Shappee et al. 2016, ApJ, 826, 144: The Young and Bright Type Ia Supernova ASASSN-14lp: Discovery, Early-Time Observations, First-Light Time, Distance to NGC 4666, and Progenitor Constraints
  • Marion et al. 2016, ApJ, 820, 92: SN 2012cg: Evidence for Interaction Between a Normal Type Ia Supernova and a Non-Degenerate Binary Companiom
  • Drout et al. 2016, ApJ, 821, 57: The Double Peaked SN 2013ge: a Type Ib/c SN with an Early Asymmetric Mass Ejection or an Extended Progenitor Envelope
  • Gutierrez et al. 2016, A&A, 590, 5: Supernova 2010ev: A reddened high velocity gradient type Ia supernova
  • Anderson et al. 2016, A&A, 589, 110: Type II supernovae as probes of environment metallicity: observations of host H-II regions
  • Galbany et al. 2016, AJ, 151, 33: UBVRIz Light Curves of 51 Type II Supernovae

    2015 (24 refereed papers)
  • de Jaeger et al. 2015, ApJ, 815, 121: A Hubble Diagram From Type II Supernovae Based Solely on Photometry: The Photometric-colour Method
  • Barth et al. 2015, ApJS, 217, 26: The Lick AGN Monitoring Project 2011: Sspectroscopic Campaign and Emission-Line Light Curves
  • Leloudas et al. 2015, ApJ Letters, 815, 10: Polarimetry of the superluminous supernova LSQ14MO: No significant deviations from spherical symmetry
  • Smartt et al. 2015, A&A, 579, 40: PESSTO: survey description and products from the first data release by the Public ESO Spectroscopic Survey of Transient Objects
  • Marino et al. 2015, ApJ, 806, 134, Searching For Light Echoes Due To Circumstellar Matter In SNe Ia Spectra
  • Walker et al. 2015, ApJS, 219, 13: First Results from the La Silla-QUEST Supernova Survey and the Carnegie Supernova Project
  • Kurtenkov et al. 2015, A&A Letters, 578L, 10: The Janurary 2015 outburts of a red nova in M31
  • De Jaeger et al. 2015, ApJ, 807, 63: SN 2011A: An Low-luminosity Interacting Transient, with a Double Plateau and Strong Sodium Absorption
  • Pan et al. 2015, MNRAS, 452, 4307: 500 days of SN 2013dy: spectra and photometry from the ultraviolet to the infrared
  • Amanullah et al. 2015, MNRAS, 453, 3300: Diversity in extinction laws of Type Ia supernovae measured between 0.2 and 2 microns
  • Taddia et al. 2015, A&A, accepted: Metallicity at the explosion site of interacting transients
  • Takats et al. 2015, MNRAS, 450, 3137: SN 2009ib: A Type II-P Supernova with an Unusually Long Plateau
  • Hsiao et al. 2015, A&A, 578, 9: Strong near-infrared carbon in the Type Ia supernova iPTF13ebh
  • Pastorello et al. 2015, MNRAS, 449, 1921: Massive stars exploding in a He-rich circumstellar medium. IV. Transitional Type Ibn Supernovae
  • Pastorello et al. 2015, MNRAS, 449, 1954: Massive stars exploding in a He-rich circumstellar medium. VI. Observations of two distant Type Ibn supernova candidates discovered by La Silla-QUEST
  • Valenti et al. 2015, MNRAS, 448, 2608: Supernova 2013by: A Type IIL Supernova with a IIP-like light curve drop
  • Sako et al. 2015, ApJS, in press, astro-ph:1401.3317: The Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II Supernova Survey
  • Temim et al. 2015, ApJ, 799, 158: Dust Destruction Rates and Lifetimes in the Magellanic Clouds
  • Taddia et al. 2015, A&A, 574, 60: Early-time light curves of Type Ib/c supernovae from the SDSS-II Supernova Survey
  • Leloudas et al. 2015, A&A, 574, 61: Supernova spectra below strong circumstellar interaction
  • Milisavljevic et al. 2015, ApJ, 799, 51: The Broad-Lined Type Ic SN 2012ap and the Nature of Relativistic Supernovae Lacking a Gamma-ray Burst Detection
  • Fox et al. 2015, MNRAS, 447, 776: On the Nature of Type Ia-CSM Supernovae: Optical and Near-Infrared Spectra of SN 2012ca and SN 2013dn
  • Marion et al. 2015, ApJ, 798, 39: Early Observations and Analysis of the Type Ia SN 2014J In M82
  • Stritzinger et al. 2015, A&A, 573, 2: Comprehensive Observations of the Bright and Energetic Type Iax SN 2012Z: Interpretation as a Chandrasekhar Mass White Dwarf Explosion (as pdf)

    • 2014 (20 refereed publications)
  • Gall et al. 2014, Nature, 511, 326: Rapid formation of large dust grains in the luminous supernova 2010jl
  • Morokuma et al. 2014, PASJ, 66, 114: Kiso Supernova Survey (KISS): Survey Strategy
  • Folatelli et al. 2014, ApJ, 792, 29: Supernovae 2010as: The Lowest-velocity Member of a Family of Flat-velocity Type IIb Supernovae
  • Tanaka et al. 2014, ApJ, 793L, 26: Discovery of Dramatic Optical Variability in SDSS J1100.4421: A Peculiar Radio-loud Narrow-line Seyfert 1 Galaxy?
  • Foley et al. 2014, ApJ, 792, 29: Possible Detection of the Stellar Donor or Remnant for the Type Iax Supernova 2008ha
  • McCully et al. 2014, Nature, 512, 54: A luminous, blue progenitor system for a type-Iax supernova
  • Foley et al. 2014, MNRAS, 443, 2887: Extensive HST Ultraviolet Spectra and Multi-wavelength Observations of SN 2014J in M82 Indicate Reddening and Circumstellar Scattering by Typical Dust
  • Scalzo et al. 2014, MNRAS, 445, 30: Early ultraviolet emission in the Type Ia supernova LSQ12gdj: No evidence for ongoing shock interaction
  • Burns, Stritzinger et al. 2014, ApJ, 789, 32: The Carnegie Supernova Project: Intrinsic Colors Of Type Ia Supernovae
  • Boldt, Stritzinger et al. 2014, PASP, 126, 324: Near-infrared K corrections of Type Ia Supernovae and their errors (as pdf)
  • Anderson et al. 2014, MNRAS, 441, 671: Analysis of blueshifted emission peaks in Type II supernovae (as pdf)
  • Hjorth et al. 2014, ApJ, 782L, 23: Shaping the Dust Mass-Star-formation Rate Relations (as pdf)
  • Dessart et al. 2014, MNRAS, 440, 1856: Type II Plateau supernovae as metallicity probes of the Universe (as pdf)
  • Gutierrez et al. 2014, ApJ, 786L, 15 : Hα Spectral Diversity of Type II Supernovae: Correlations with Photometric Properties (as pdf)
  • Anderson et al. 2014, ApJ, 786, 67: Characterizing the V-band Light-curves of Hydrogen-rich Type II Supernovae (as pdf)
  • Bufano et al. 2014, MNRAS, 439, 1807: SN 2011hs: a fast and faint Type IIb supernova from a supergiant progenitor (as pdf)
  • Takats et al. 2014, MNRAS, 438, 368: SN 2009N: linking normal and subluminous Type II-P SNe (as pdf)
  • Valenti et al. 2014, MNRAS, 437, 1519: PESSTO monitoring of SN 2012hn: further heterogeneity among faint Type I supernovae (as pdf)
  • Margutti et al. 2014, ApJ, 780, 21: A Panchromatic View of the Restless SN 2009ip Reveals the Explosive Ejection of a Massive Star Envelope (as pdf)
  • Stritzinger et al. 2014, A&A, 561, 146: Optical and near-IR observations of the faint and fast 2008ha-like supernova 2010ae (as pdf)

    • 2013 (8 refereed publications)
  • Phillips et al. 2013, ApJ, 779, 38: On the Source of the Dust Extinction in Type Ia Supernovae and the Discovery of Anomalously Strong Na I Absorption (as pdf)
  • Taddia et al. 2013, A&A, 558, 143: A metallicity study of 1987A-like supernova host galaxies (as pdf)
  • Folatelli et al. 2013, ApJ, 773, 53: Spectroscopy of Type Ia Supernovae by the Carnegie Supernova Project (as pdf)
  • Taddia, Stritzinger et al. 2013, A&A, 555, 10: Carnegie Supernova Project: Observations of Type IIn supernovae (as pdf)
  • Milisavljevic et al. 2013, ApJ, 770L, 38: SN 2012au: A Golden Link between Superluminous Supernovae and Their Lower-luminosity Counterparts (as pdf)
  • Childress et al. 2013, ApJ, 770, 29: Spectroscopic Observations of SN 2012fr: A Luminous, Normal Type Ia Supernova with Early High-velocity Features and a Late Velocity Plateau (as pdf)
  • Foley et al. 2013, ApJ, 767, 57: Type Iax Supernovae: A New Class of Stellar Explosion (as pdf)
  • Hsiao et al. 2013, ApJ, 766, 72 : The Earliest Near-infrared Time-series Spectroscopy of a Type Ia Supernova (as pdf)

    • Talks and/or Posters Given During Project Period

  • Talk Supernovae through the ages, international conference, Easter Island, Chile, August 9, 2016, by M. Stritzinger on Carnegie Supernova Project: Stripped-envelope core-collapse supernovae
  • Carnegie SN Ia Progenitor Workshop, Carnegie Observatories, Pasadena, CA, USA, August 05 2016, Talk given by Hsiao on NIR SN Ia spectroscopy
  • Carnegie Supernova Project team meeting, Carnegie Observatories, Pasadena, CA, USA, 31 July to August 2, 2015: Talks given by Gall, Hsiao and Stritzinger
  • European Week of Astronomy and Space Science (EWASS) Annual Meeting, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, 25 June 2015, "Two in one: intrinsic properties of two fast declining SNe in the same galaxy" by C. Gall (as pdf)
  • European Week of Astronomy and Space Science (EWASS) Annual Meeting, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, 25 June 2015, "Near-infrared spectroscopy of Type Ia supernovae" by E. Hsiao (as pdf)
  • Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, 06 March 2015, "Type Iax supernovae 2010ae and 2012Z: from the faint and fast to the bright and slow" by M. Stritzinger (as pdf)
  • Stellar Astrophysics Centre, IFA, Aarhus, Denmark, 08 October 2014, "Carnegie Supernova Project" by E. Hsiao (as pdf)
  • Celebrating 10,000 Days of Supernova 1987A, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, 11-15th August 2014, "Poster: Definitive near-infrared carbon detection in type Ia supernova iPTF13ebh" by E. Hsiao (as pdf)
  • Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 14 July 2014, "Type Iax SNe 2010ae and 2012Z: from the faint and fast to the bright and slow" by M. Stritzinger (as pdf)
  • Carnegie Supernova Project meeting, St. George Island, Flordia, 28 June 2014, "CSP Observations of Stripped Core-collapse supernovae" by M. Stritzinger (as pdf)
  • Carnegie Supernova Project meeting, St. George Island, Flordia, 27 June 2014, "NIR spectra of PTF 13ebh" by E. Hsiao (as pdf)
  • Danish Astronomical Society Board of Director's Meeting, IFA, Aarhus, Denmark, 26 April 2014, "Core-collapse Supernovae: Discovery and follow-up observations" by M. Stritzinger (as pdf)
  • Lecture Series, Univesity of Texas, Austin Texas, 31 March - 05 April 2013, "Dust in the early Universe (3 lectures)" by C. Gall
  • Type Ia supernova workshop, Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies, 10 Feburary 2014, "The Type Iax Supernovae 2010ae and 2012Z" by M. Stritzinger
  • Life Cycle of Dust in the Universe, Taipei Taiwan, 18-22 November 2013, "Sources of dust in the early Universe" by C. Gall (as pdf)
  • Carnegie Supernova Project Workshop, Cooks Branch Conservatory, East Texas, 05 October 2013, "The Type Iax Supernova 2010ae and NIR K-corrections of normal Type Ia SNe" by M. Stritzinger
  • Galaxies meet GRBs, Cabo de Gata, Almeria, Spain, 23-27 September 2013, "Formation and evolution of dust in galaxies" by C. Gall (as pdf)
  • Mitchell Institute workshop on supernova and cosmology, Cooks Branch Conservatory, East Texas, 09 April 13, "NIR K corrections of Type Ia Supernovae" by M. Stritzinger

    • Visitors

  • Francesco Taddia, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden: March 2017
  • Joe Lyman, University of Warwick, UK: March 2017
  • Joel Johansson, Wiezmann Institute, IS: Feburary 2017
  • Giorgos Leloudas, Weizmann Institute of Science: Janurary 2017
  • Elena Pian, Un. of Pisa, Italy: June 2016
  • Christopher Ashall, James Moore Un., Liverpool, England: June 2016
  • Paolo Mazzali, James Moore Un., Liverpool, England: June 2016
  • Takashi Moriya, University of Bonn: July 2015
  • Francesco Taddia, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden: June 2015
  • Eddie Baron, University of Oklaholma: June 2015
  • Tobias Hinse, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Korea: December 2014
  • Francesco Taddia, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden: November 2014
  • Francesco Taddia, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden: June 2014
  • Gaston Folatelli, IPMU, Tokyo, Japan: June 2014
  • Melina Berstein, IPMU, Tokyo, Japan: June 2014
  • Francesco Taddia, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden: September 2013
  • Giorgos Leloudas, Dark Cosmology Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark: May, 2014
  • Stefano Valenti, University of California Santa Barbara, USA: September 2013
  • Jesper Sollerman, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden: September 2013