Hawaii Supernova Flows

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

Thirty years ago, observations of the cosmic microwave background was found to be slightly hotter in one direction than in the opposite direction. The accepted explanation was that the radiation is doppler shifted by the motion of our Milky Way Galaxy and its companions of 630 km/s. For 30 years, astronomers have sought the sources of attraction that would cause this extreme motion. There must be attractors on scales of a billion light years. The only known methodology to study motions on such large scales is based on the well-defined luminosities of a class of supernovae. Over three years, our program will monitor thousands of such supernovae, determine their distances and, for the first time, map the motions of galaxies in response to the distribution of matter to a distance of a billion light years. This research is part of a quest to understand the nature of dark matter, the mysterious dominant constituent of matter. We cannot comprehend the development of the universe without an understanding of dark matter. This problem is central to current research efforts in physics and cosmology and, ultimately, to societal interest in understanding the universe and our origins. Through videos, interactive models, and virtual reality this knowledge can be made accessible to the public. The work that is described achieves a particular resonance with lay audiences and this program is committed to public outreach. At the University of Hawaii, the means exist to identify a large sample of supernovae within z=0.1 and obtain the requisite supplementary information to determine accurate distances. The two facilities with the best cadences for detecting nearby supernovae and documenting their light curves are ATLAS and ASSAS-SN. A half dozen new SNIa events will be discovered every night. These events must be identified among the large number of other transients. The University of Hawaii 2.24m telescope will be employed to obtain spectra to certify the supernova type and to give a redshift. The 3.8m UKIRT on Maunakea is used to acquire light curve information in the near infrared where the standard candle nature of SNIa is best defined. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.