Observations and Theory of Supernovae

德克萨斯超新星研究小组在对不对称超新星的观测和理论的关注上是独一无二的。他们正在继续用光学和近红外光谱以及光学光谱偏振法探索Ia型超新星，目的是更好地了解祖先的进化，爆炸物理，以及这些超新星的能力，以促进精确的宇宙学测量。可能与这些天体的双星性质有关的证据已经开启了超新星研究的一个新分支，以确定超新星的光球何时变成球形，并更好地理解由于超新星最大值附近非球面的影响，物体之间的光度和颜色的色散。他们正在探索恒星核心坍缩的本质，特别是用光谱偏振法探测爆炸中的不对称性。决定核心坍缩超新星物理性质的一个关键因素是不同组成部分的喷出物的几何形状。这是通过仔细的光谱偏振法确定的。正在测试产生双极流和更复杂流的核心坍塌动力学模型，以确定爆炸中基本不对称的程度，这是在喷出物的不同化学层中留下不同极化所必需的。他们参与使用机器人光学瞬态源实验望远镜阵列来研究伽马射线暴、超新星及其联系。更广泛的影响：这项工作通过促进发现和理解，同时教育研究生和培养博士后研究人员，将研究和教育结合起来。PI教授一门关于超新星研究的研究生课程，其中包括许多正在进行的发展。此外，PI长期以来一直将最新的研究进展纳入非科学专业的大班，这些班级在性别、种族、残疾和地理方面本质上是多样化的。PI还经常在大众科学文献中发表文章，他的作品在麦当劳天文台的新双语德克萨斯天文学教育中心中得到了展示。PI还通过将超新星和伽马射线爆发的研究纳入天体生物学的背景下，努力加强研究的基础设施。

0406740PI WheelerThe Texas supernova group is unique in its focus on both the observations and theory of asymmetric supernovae. They are continuing to explore Type Ia supernovae with optical and near infrared spectroscopy and optical spectropolarimetry with the goal of better understanding the progenitor evolution, the explosion physics, and the capacity of these supernovae to facilitate accurate cosmological measurements. Evidence possibly related to the binary nature of these objects has started a new branch of supernovae research to determine when the photospheres of supernovae become spherical and to better understand the dispersion in luminosity and color between objects due to effects of asphericity near supernova maximum. They are exploring the nature of the collapse of the stellar core, specifically probing asymmetries in the explosion with spectropolarimetry. One key factor in determining the physical nature of core collapse supernovae is the geometry of portions of the ejecta of different composition. This is determined by careful spectropolarimetry. Dynamical models of core collapse that generate bipolar and more complex flows are being tested to determine the degree of fundamental asymmetry in the explosion necessary to imprint different polarization in different chemical layers of the ejecta. They participate in the use of the Robotic Optical Transient Source Experiment telescope array to study gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and their connection.Broader Impact: This work integrates research and education by advancing discovery and understanding, while at the same time educating graduate students and training postdoctoral researchers. The PI teaches a graduate course on supernova research that includes as active components many of the developments underway. In addition, the PI has long made it a practice to incorporate recent research developments into large classes for non-science majors, classes that are intrinsically diverse in terms of gender, ethnicity, disability, and geography. The PI also frequently publishes in the popular science literature and his work is featured in the new bilingual Texas Astronomy Education Center at McDonald Observatory. The PI has also worked to enhance the infrastructure of research by incorporating research on supernovae and gamma-ray bursts into an astrobiological context.