Unveiling the Physics and Progenitors of Cosmic Explosions with a One Day Cadence Supernova Search

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Supernovae are linchpins for understanding the chemical and star formation history of the Universe. Despite progress, some of the most basic questions about supernovae persist, and this proposal seeks to answer the question: What are the explosion mechanisms and progenitor star systems of supernovae? In the early hours to days after explosion, supernovae provide clues to how they explode, and what their progenitor star systems were. The PI will carry out a 3-year, one-day-cadence supernova search of nearby galaxies, which is expected to discover about 30 extremely young supernovae within 1 day of explosion. This will help determine which type of stars explode into particular types of supernovae. Through this research, a diverse set of undergraduate students will be trained in technical skills and t to take leadership roles in scientific or educational careers. They will be involved in all phases of the research, and they will lead an effort at Texas Tech's Gott Observatory to obtain light curves of SNe. The PI will use the prompt telescope to conduct a nightly survey of galaxies within 40 Mpc. Discovered supernovae will immediately be observed with the FLOYDS spectrographs at LCOGT. They expect to discover around 10 type Ia supernovae and about 20 core collapse supernovae within 1 day of explosion. For type Ia supernovae, the team will study early light curve signatures related to the distribution of 56Ni and of shocking between the supernova ejecta and any non-degenerate companion star. They will also hunt for the carbon material most likely associated with a companion progenitor white dwarf. For core collapse supernovae, the team will witness the shock breakout from the surface of the progenitor star, and the subsequent cooling in the initial hours to days afterwards, which allows for a measurement of the progenitor star's radius and circumstellar material composition. The results will be used to constrain the progenitor and explosion mechanism of each supernova. All supernovae discoveries will be made public immediately after discovery to facilitate rapid follow-up observations.