ASTUnderstanding cosmological probes: constraining the progenitors and diversity of Type Ia supernovae
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen's University Belfast
Department Name: Sch of Mathematics and Physics
Abstract
One of the fundamental questions that exists about our Universe is what is this 'dark energy' that we now know makes up greater than 70% of the mass-energy of the Universe? The discovery of this mysterious quantity at the end of the last century from measurements of distant exploding stars was completely unexpected. Until then, it was assumed that the expansion of the Universe would be slowing down due to gravitational attraction but instead it was found to be accelerating, invoking the presence of 'dark energy' that is acting against gravity to push the Universe apart! There are many theoretical predictions for the origin of dark energy (Einstein's 'cosmological constant'? new exotic physics? alterations to general relativity?) but current measurements cannot yet distinguish between them.
The most successful and mature probe of the origin of dark energy to date is measurements of distant exploding stars (supernovae). The 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to two groups who made measurements of distant supernovae and discovered the accelerating Universe. Current and future state-of-the-art telescopes and surveys (e.g. Dark Energy Survey, the European Space Agency mission, Euclid and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope) are being designed to constrain theories of dark energy using larger supernova samples. However, to distinguish between these theories of dark energy, it is also very important to understand the supernovae themselves. This is the aim of my Ernest Rutherford research proposal.
I will do this using observations of Type Ia supernovae, which are the luminous stellar deaths of accreting white dwarfs (small, dense stars) in binary systems. I will investigate, 'is there more than one way to make a Type Ia supernovae?', 'how do they explode?' and 'how do the properties of the galaxies within which they explode affect their properties?'
I will analyse data coming from many telescopes, including one of the world's largest telescopes, the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, to understand if there is more than one way to explode a star and produce a Type Ia supernova. I will use advanced analysis techniques on these data, in collaboration with the UK's leading supernova theorists to uncover how exactly these stars explode. This will allow us to refine current and future supernova samples to make improved dark-energy measurements.
I will also investigate the properties of the distant galaxies in which the supernovae explode. Type Ia supernovae can occur in many different types of galaxies, from spiral galaxies like our Milky Way to small dwarf galaxies that are barely visible with even the most powerful telescopes. I will investigate how the properties of the supernovae such as brightness, the presence of different atomic elements and the energy released depend on the properties of the galaxy within which they explode. I have previously shown that the properties of Type Ia supernovae change depending on the amount of heavy elements present in their host galaxies. Now it is important to understand the cause of this diversity and how it might vary throughout the Universe. If Type Ia supernovae look very different at different distances in the Universe this would affect the dark-energy measurements made with them.
As an Ernest Rutherford fellow, I will be in the unique position to progress from past measurements of dark energy, by significantly improving our understanding of SN Ia physics and cosmology. I will build on my extensive experience in this field and help future surveys reveal what is this mysterious quantity that makes up greater than 70% of our Universe.
The most successful and mature probe of the origin of dark energy to date is measurements of distant exploding stars (supernovae). The 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to two groups who made measurements of distant supernovae and discovered the accelerating Universe. Current and future state-of-the-art telescopes and surveys (e.g. Dark Energy Survey, the European Space Agency mission, Euclid and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope) are being designed to constrain theories of dark energy using larger supernova samples. However, to distinguish between these theories of dark energy, it is also very important to understand the supernovae themselves. This is the aim of my Ernest Rutherford research proposal.
I will do this using observations of Type Ia supernovae, which are the luminous stellar deaths of accreting white dwarfs (small, dense stars) in binary systems. I will investigate, 'is there more than one way to make a Type Ia supernovae?', 'how do they explode?' and 'how do the properties of the galaxies within which they explode affect their properties?'
I will analyse data coming from many telescopes, including one of the world's largest telescopes, the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, to understand if there is more than one way to explode a star and produce a Type Ia supernova. I will use advanced analysis techniques on these data, in collaboration with the UK's leading supernova theorists to uncover how exactly these stars explode. This will allow us to refine current and future supernova samples to make improved dark-energy measurements.
I will also investigate the properties of the distant galaxies in which the supernovae explode. Type Ia supernovae can occur in many different types of galaxies, from spiral galaxies like our Milky Way to small dwarf galaxies that are barely visible with even the most powerful telescopes. I will investigate how the properties of the supernovae such as brightness, the presence of different atomic elements and the energy released depend on the properties of the galaxy within which they explode. I have previously shown that the properties of Type Ia supernovae change depending on the amount of heavy elements present in their host galaxies. Now it is important to understand the cause of this diversity and how it might vary throughout the Universe. If Type Ia supernovae look very different at different distances in the Universe this would affect the dark-energy measurements made with them.
As an Ernest Rutherford fellow, I will be in the unique position to progress from past measurements of dark energy, by significantly improving our understanding of SN Ia physics and cosmology. I will build on my extensive experience in this field and help future surveys reveal what is this mysterious quantity that makes up greater than 70% of our Universe.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Kate Maguire (Principal Investigator / Fellow) |
Publications
Abbott B
(2017)
Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger *
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Abbott B
(2016)
LOCALIZATION AND BROADBAND FOLLOW-UP OF THE GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE TRANSIENT GW150914
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Anderson J
(2018)
A nearby super-luminous supernova with a long pre-maximum & "plateau" and strong C II features
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Cartier R
(2017)
Early observations of the nearby Type Ia supernova SN 2015F
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Chen P
(2019)
ASASSN-15pz: Revealing Significant Photometric Diversity among 2009dc-like, Peculiar SNe Ia *
in The Astrophysical Journal
Childress M
(2015)
Measuring nickel masses in Type Ia supernovae using cobalt emission in nebular phase spectra
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Clark P
(2020)
LSQ13ddu: a rapidly evolving stripped-envelope supernova with early circumstellar interaction signatures
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Corsi A
(2016)
RADIO OBSERVATIONS OF A SAMPLE OF BROAD-LINE TYPE IC SUPERNOVAE DISCOVERED BY PTF/IPTF: A SEARCH FOR RELATIVISTIC EXPLOSIONS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Galbany L
(2019)
Evidence for a Chandrasekhar-mass explosion in the Ca-strong 1991bg-like type Ia supernova 2016hnk
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Gutiérrez C
(2018)
Type II supernovae in low-luminosity host galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Inserra C
(2018)
On the nature of hydrogen-rich superluminous supernovae
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Jerkstrand A
(2017)
LONG-DURATION SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVAE AT LATE TIMES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Leloudas G
(2016)
The superluminous transient ASASSN-15lh as a tidal disruption event from a Kerr black hole
in Nature Astronomy
Leloudas G
(2019)
The Spectral Evolution of AT 2018dyb and the Presence of Metal Lines in Tidal Disruption Events
in The Astrophysical Journal
Magee M
(2016)
The type Iax supernova, SN 2015H A white dwarf deflagration candidate
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Maguire K
(2016)
Searching for swept-up hydrogen and helium in the late-time spectra of 11 nearby Type Ia supernovae
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Maguire K
(2018)
Using late-time optical and near-infrared spectra to constrain Type Ia supernova explosion properties
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Nicholl M
(2016)
SN 2015bn: A DETAILED MULTI-WAVELENGTH VIEW OF A NEARBY SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVA
in The Astrophysical Journal
Nicholl M
(2016)
SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVA SN 2015bn IN THE NEBULAR PHASE: EVIDENCE FOR THE ENGINE-POWERED EXPLOSION OF A STRIPPED MASSIVE STAR
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Pastorello A
(2019)
The Evolution of Luminous Red Nova AT 2017jfs in NGC 4470
Pastorello A
(2019)
The evolution of luminous red nova AT 2017jfs in NGC 4470
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Prentice S. J.
(2018)
Investigating the properties of stripped-envelope supernovae; what are the implications for their progenitors?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Rubin A
(2016)
TYPE II SUPERNOVA ENERGETICS AND COMPARISON OF LIGHT CURVES TO SHOCK-COOLING MODELS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Shingles L
(2020)
Monte Carlo radiative transfer for the nebular phase of Type Ia supernovae
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Smartt S
(2016)
A SEARCH FOR AN OPTICAL COUNTERPART TO THE GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE EVENT GW151226
in The Astrophysical Journal
Smartt S
(2016)
Pan-STARRS and PESSTO search for an optical counterpart to the LIGO gravitational-wave source GW150914
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Smartt SJ
(2017)
A kilonova as the electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational-wave source.
in Nature
Tartaglia L
(2018)
The Early Detection and Follow-up of the Highly Obscured Type II Supernova 2016ija/DLT16am *
in The Astrophysical Journal
Tartaglia L
(2017)
The Progenitor and Early Evolution of the Type IIb SN 2016gkg
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Terreran G
(2018)
Publisher Correction: Hydrogen-rich supernovae beyond the neutrino-driven core-collapse paradigm
in Nature Astronomy
Wevers T
(2019)
Evidence for rapid disc formation and reprocessing in the X-ray bright tidal disruption event candidate AT 2018fyk
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Wyrzykowski L
(2016)
OGLE16aaa - a Signature of a Hungry Super Massive Black Hole
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Yuan F
(2016)
450 d of Type II SN 2013ej in optical and near-infrared
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
| Description | European Research Council Starting Grant |
| Amount | € 1,900,000 (EUR) |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 05/2018 |
| End | 05/2023 |