Supernovae In Nearby Galaxies: Discovery, Rates, and Detailed Studies

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AST-0607485FilippenkoSupernovae (SN) represent the final, explosive stage in the evolution of certain varieties of stars, and because of their involvement in the chemical evolution of galaxies, shock-induced star formation, cosmic rays, neutron stars, black holes, and the distance scale of the Universe, they are clearly among the most interesting and important constituents of the Universe. This project will continue efforts to improve the understanding of the progenitor stars, explosion mechanisms, and nucleosynthetic products, of different types of SN. The approach is largely observational, plus theoretical modeling through informal collaborations. This group's robotic imaging telescope at the Lick Observatory is arguably the world's most successful search for SN in nearby galaxies, and the continuing collection of spectroscopically classified SN will be used to study their temporal evolution and statistical properties. Spectropolarimetry has a large potential for discovery, as it provides information on supernova shapes and internal structure, and this will also be a major focus of this research.Results will continue to be disseminated to a broad audience, as part of continuing the complementary missions of cutting-edge research and effective public outreach and teaching. The principal investigator in particular gives many well-received public lectures each year, is interviewed for television, radio, magazines and newspapers, and appears in educational videos, books, and television documentaries. These studies will continue to involve a large number of undergraduates, as well as graduates and postdocs. Participants have included high school students, retirees, and the disadvantaged, and new candidates are always being sought.