Observations and Theory of Supernovae

该奖项将继续支持一个研究项目，主要关注两种类型的超新星的观测和理论：核心坍缩超新星，其中非常大的恒星在核心燃料耗尽后以壮观的爆炸结束生命；Ia型超新星，可能是由于靠近双星的白矮星从邻居那里积累了过多的质量而坍缩而产生的。关于核心坍缩超新星，将使用光谱偏振法来探索不对称性，将这些数据与来自已确定特定祖星的系统的信息联系起来。超新星偏振特性的系统差异也将被研究，特别是在O和Ca等元素中。伽马射线暴，超新星及其联系的研究将继续使用麦克唐纳天文台的机器人光学瞬态搜索实验（ROTSE）望远镜阵列和ROTSE IIIb望远镜。德克萨斯超新星搜索也将继续使用ROTSE IIIb望远镜，麦当劳的霍比-埃伯利望远镜将用于快速和时间采样的光谱跟踪。将利用斯皮策太空望远镜研究核心坍缩超新星，并对SDSS超新星调查发现的核心坍缩超新星进行研究。旋转磁坍缩超级运动的性质将用球面和多维模型来检验。对于Ia型超新星，将进行光学、近红外、斯皮策太空望远镜中红外光谱和光学光谱偏振观测，以更好地了解Ia型超新星的祖先演化、爆炸物理和能力，以促进精确的宇宙测量。在这方面，将分析越来越多的光谱偏振数据集，以及使用ROTSE IIIb/Hobby-Eberly望远镜组合的德克萨斯超新星搜索获得的时间序列数据。通过参与斯隆数字巡天（SDSS）超新星巡天，红移从0.1到0.4的“沙漠”将继续被霍比-埃伯利望远镜的时间所填补，这是该数据集的主要贡献。这里开展的工作预计将对天文学的许多其他领域产生影响，特别是恒星演化、星系演化和宇宙学。通过参与这项工作所需的各种联盟（SDSS， ROTSE等），将促进国内和国际合作。这项工作的结果将整合到各种教育和推广工作中，包括关于超新星的研究生课程，通俗书籍，文章和StarDate广播节目。

This award will continue support for a research program primarily focused on the observation and theory of supernovae of both types: core collapse supernovae in which very massive stars end their lives in spectacular explosions following exhaustion of fuel in their cores, and Type Ia supernovae which likely arise when white dwarfs in close binaries accumulate too much mass from their neighbors and collapse.With regard to core collapse supernovae, asymmetries will be explored using spectropolarimetry, relating that data to information derived from systems for which the specific progenitor stars have been identified. Systematic differences in the polarization properties of hypernovae will also be investigated, especially in elements such as O and Ca. The study of gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and their connection will be continued with the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment (ROTSE) telescope array and the ROTSE IIIb telescope at McDonald Observatory. The Texas Supernovae Search will also be continued with the ROTSE IIIb telescope and the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald will be used for rapid and time sampled spectroscopic follow-up. Core collapse supernovae will be studied with the Spitzer Space Telescope and core collapse supernovae discovered by the SDSS Supernova survey will be investigated. The nature of rotating magnetic collapse supermovae will be examined with spherical and multi-dimensional models. For Type Ia supernovae, optical, near-infrared, Spitzer Space Telescope mid-infrared spectroscopy, and optical spectropolarimetry observations will be obtained with the goal of better understanding the progenitor evolution, the explosion physics, and the capacity of Type Ia supernovae to facilitate accurate cosmological measurements. A growing data set of spectropolarimetry will be analyzed in this regard as well as time series of data obtained with the Texas Supernova Search using the ROTSE IIIb/Hobby-Eberly Telescope combination. Through participation in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Supernova Survey, the red shift ''desert'' from red shift of 0.1 to 0.4 will continue to be filled in with time on the Hobby-Eberly Telescope being a principal contribution to this data set.The work carried out here is expected to have impact on many other areas of astronomy, notably stellar evolution, galactic evolution, and cosmology. National and international collaborations will be fostered through participation in the various consortia necessary for this work (SDSS, ROTSE, etc.). The results of this work will be integrated into various education and outreach efforts including a graduate course on supernovae, popular books, articles, and the StarDate radio program.