Collaborative Research: Physics and Progenitors of Cosmic Explosions with a Sub-day Cadence Supernova Search

超新星是了解宇宙化学和星星形成历史的重要组成部分。 关于超新星的基本问题仍然困扰着科学家。这项提议试图回答这样一个问题：超新星的祖先星星系统是什么，它们是如何爆炸的？ 在超新星爆炸后的几个小时内，观测可以提供什么类型的星星爆炸以及如何爆炸的线索。 这项研究将在爆炸后12小时内对非常接近的星系进行为期3年的亚日节奏超新星搜索。 随后的几个小时和几天内，将立即使用双子座、雨燕和其他设施进行观测。这将有助于确定哪些类型的恒星爆炸成特定类型的超新星及其爆炸机制。 研究团队还将参加基特峰国家天文台的公共图尔斯参观活动，每年有15，000名日间游客参加，并将更新STEM中的讲解员培训计划，描述该网站完成的科学。 此外，从高中过渡到大学的学生的STEM能力将通过基于这项研究的模块得到提高，该模块名为？天文学导论？在加州数学和科学暑期学校（COSMOS）上发表。这项研究将使用两台小型望远镜，一台在智利，一台在澳大利亚，每12小时观察相同的~500个附近星系。 有了一个完全自动化的超新星探测系统，他们将在几乎真实的时间内发现非常年轻的超新星，爆炸发生的时间有非常严格的限制。 一旦发现超新星，将立即向天文学界公布。将获得关于每一次爆炸的最佳数据集。 预计爆炸后1天内将发现约10颗Ia型超新星和约20颗核心坍缩超新星。对于Ia型超新星，早期光变曲线特征的研究将揭示56 Ni和冲击波在超新星喷出物和任何非简并伴星星星之间的分布。这项研究还将寻找最有可能与伴星祖先白色矮星有关的碳物质。对于核心坍缩超新星，研究将研究从祖星星表面的冲击爆发，以及随后在最初几小时到几天内的冷却，这使得可以测量祖星星的半径和星周物质成分。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

Supernovae are an essential ingredient for understanding the chemical and star formation history of the Universe. Basic questions about supernovae continue to perplex scientists This proposal seeks to answer the question: What are the progenitor star systems of supernovae, and how do they explode? In the immediate few hours after a supernova explosion, observations can provide clues as to what type of star exploded, and how. This research will carry out a 3-year, sub-day cadence supernova search of very nearby galaxies, within 12 hours of explosion. This will be followed immediately in the hours and days after by observations using Gemini, Swift, and other facilities. This will help determine which types of stars explode into particular types of supernovae and their explosion mechanism. The research team will also participate in public tours at Kitt Peak National Observatory, which are attended by 15,000 daytime guests annually, and will update the docent training program in STEM in the description of the science accomplished at this site. Further, the STEM abilities of students transitioning from high school to college will be improved by a module based on this research entitled ?Introduction to Astronomy? for presentation at the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS).This research will use two small telescopes, one in Chile and one in Australia, to look at the same ~500 nearby galaxies every 12 hours. With a totally automated supernovae detection system, they will find very young supernovae in nearly real time, with very tight limits on when the explosion occurred. Once a supernova is discovered, it will be immediately announced to the astronomical community. The best possible data set on each explosion will be obtained. It is expected that about 10 type Ia supernovae and about 20 core collapse supernovae will be discovered within 1 day of explosion. For type Ia supernovae, study of the early light curve signatures will reveal the distribution of 56Ni and of shocking between the supernova ejecta and any non-degenerate companion star. The research will also hunt for the carbon material most likely associated with a companion progenitor white dwarf. For core collapse supernovae, the research will study the shock breakout from the surface of the progenitor star, and the subsequent cooling in the initial hours to days afterwards, which allows for a measurement of the progenitor star's radius and circumstellar material composition. The results will be used to constrain the progenitor and explosion mechanism of each supernovaThis 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.