The Nearby Supernova Factory

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The Nearby Supernova Factory
Greg Aldering et al LBL Directors Review
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The Collaboration
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab Laboratorie de
Physique Nucleaire et de Haute Energies de
Paris Institut de Physique Nucleaire de
Lyon Centre de Recherche Astronomy de
Lyon Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics -
University of Chicago Yale University - QUEST
group
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SNfactory Genesis

• Low-density universe measurement in fall 1997
• Discovery of accelerating universe in winter
  1998
• First HST NIR SN observations in winter 1998
• First z gt 1 Type Ia SN in fall 1998
• Nearby SN campaign in spring 1999
• SNfactory conceived in spring 1999
• SNAP conceived in spring 1999
• SNfactory/SNAP LDRD in summer 1999
• French commitment in winter 2001
• Telescope secured in summer 2001
• Design phase in 2001-2002
• SAGENAP endorsement spring 2002
• Construction phase 2002-2004
• Ramp-up phase in summer 2004 to spring 2005

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SNfactory Science Goals

• Improve statistical constraints on dark energy
• 2x improvement for SNLS, Essence, SNAP
• Improve systematics uncertainties on dark energy
• Better calibration of SN properties
• Span wide range of physical empirical
  parameters
• Constrain SN physics
• 300 Type Ia SNe
• in the nearby smooth Hubble flow
• with many-epoch spectrophotometry

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Cosmological Constraints from SNfactory
SNfactory SNLS
SNfactory SNAP
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Lightcurve Standardization
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Spectroscopic CAT Scan
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Type Ia Supernova Spectral Features
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SNfactory Probes Parameter Space
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Project Organization
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Nearby Discovery Challenge
SNfactory 50 Gb per night, every night
Follow-up spectroscopy gives redshift and type
High Redshift 5 Gb per night, every 3rd night
Continued spectrophometry allows synthetic
photometry, giving lightcurve
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• 99 SNe from prototype search
• Best rookie year search
• Adapted to new QUEST II camera
• 65 confirmed 60 probable in new search

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2002ic First Type Ia with Hydrogen!
SN
Wood-Vasey, Wang Aldering 2004, ApJ, 616, 339
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SNIFS Operating Principle
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SNIFS on the UH 2.2m
Telescope
Photometry CCD
Cooling Lines
Mechanical Control Unit
CCD Electronics
Calibration Unit
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SNIFS IFU Example
SNIFS direct image of globular star cluster
Reconstructed IFU image
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Spectra are Rolling In
Spectral time series for SN2004dt
SN2004ef SN2004gc SN2004gk SN2004gs
SN2005L SN2005M SN2005ac SN2005ag
SN2005ak SN2005al 20 More 50 more
screened Our spectral dataset is already as
large as 60 of all published spectra since 1937.
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Redshift Distribution
42 Ia 21 II 2 Ib/c 60 untyped
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Recent Research Highlights

• Discovery and Follow-up of First Type Ia
  Supernova showing Hydrogen
• Spectral Time Series for 31 SNe Ia
• SN Rates from Prototype Search
• UV - optical - NIR spectral coverage for some SN
  (from HST Keck)
• In-depth spectral studes
• Carbon (progenitor material) detected in SN2005al
• High velocity calcium in SN2005M
• Missing Fe only intermediate mass elements in
  SN2004dt

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SYNOW Analysis
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Automated SYNOWAnalysis
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Velocity Evolution Comparison
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SN2004dt UVONIR Spectroscopy
SNIFS
HST
Keck
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SNfactory Recent Publications

• Published
• Photometry of SN 2002ic and Implications for the
  Progenitor Mass-Loss History, Wood-Vasey, W. M.,
  Wang, L., Aldering, G., ApJ, 616, 339 (2004).
  
• The Nearby Supernova Factory, Wood-Vasey, W. M.,
  et al., New Astronomy Review, 48, 637 (2004).
• Conference Presentations Discovery Telegrams
• Feeding the Pipeline The SNfactory Search for
  Nearby Supernovae, Scalzo, R.A., NERSC Users
  Group, (2005).
• The Nearby Supernova Factory, Lee, B. C., et al.,
  AAS, 204, (2004).
• Nearby Supernova Factory Observations of the Type
  Ia Supernova 2004dt, Thomas, R. C., et al., AAS,
  205, (2004).
• First Results from the Nearby Supernova Factory,
  Scalzo, R. A., et al., AAS, 205, (2004).
• Supernova Rates from the Nearby Supernova Factory
  Prototype Search, Wood-Vasey, W. M., AAS 205,
  (2004).
• Type determination for SN 2005M, Aldering, G., et
  al., ATel, 396, 1 (2005).
• Type determination for SN 2005L, Aldering, G., et
  al., ATel, 401, 1 (2005).
• Type Determination for SN 2005ac, Aldering, G.,
  et al., ATel, 408, 1 (2005).
• 30 additional Astronomers Telegrams

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Challenges Opportunities

• Operations are continous and dynamic.
• Moore software support will improve situational
  awareness.

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Challenges Opportunities

• Operations are continous and dynamic.
• Moore software support will improve situational
  awareness.
• Possible closure of UH88 in 2007 due to
  PanStarrs.
• Try to secure more telescope time in 2006
• Consider new telescope for SNIFS after UH88
  closure

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Challenges Opportunities

• Operations are continous and dynamic.
• Moore software support will improve situational
  awareness.
• Possible closure of UH88 in 2007 due to
  PanStarrs.
• Try to secure more telescope time in 2006
• Consider new telescope for SNIFS after UH88
  closure
• Search generates many more candidates than SNIFS
  can handle.
• Improve operational efficiency
• Implement photometric screening
• Consider imaging follow-up of the more distant
  SNe Ia

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Conclusion

• SNIFS has been operating for eighteen months
• We have roughly two dozen-well studied SNe Ia
• Important complementary data obtained
• HST ultraviolet spectroscopy for 4 SNe Ia
• Keck infrared spectroscopy for 7 SNe Ia
• Infrared imaging for 9 SNe Ia
• Already have data on several unusual SNe Ia
• Search efficiency is now high
• Completing transition to full-scale operations
• Moore funding has proven crucial
• Will implement photometric screening ASAP
• Will attempt to accelerate program in 2006