Understanding Supernovae for Cosmology and for Themselves

AST-0606772 Kirshner天体物理中心超新星计划是世界上主要的超新星信息来源之一，基于各种望远镜的勤奋观测。 该项目的目的是利用超新星进行宇宙学研究，并了解超新星本身。 通过提供低红移的样品与高红移的样品进行比较，这对暗能量的发现也至关重要。 虽然到目前为止的结果是一个大的和均匀的I型光变曲线和光谱，样品仍然需要扩大，因为它还不够大，以消除统计噪声时，测量暗能量的属性。 这项工作再持续三年，将有助于研究恒星年龄和化学演化可能产生的系统效应，提高对Ib/c型超新星的认识，并研究它们与伽马射线爆发的联系。暗能量目前是一个非常广泛的公众感兴趣的话题，PI积极通过他现有的畅销书，博物馆展览，写一本教科书，并经常在美国各地和电视和广播中发言。

AST-0606772KirshnerThe Center for Astrophysics Supernova Program is one of the world's leading sources of information on supernovae, based on diligent observation with a variety of telescopes. This project is aimed both at using supernovae for cosmology, and at understanding the supernovae themselves. It has also been critical to the discovery of dark energy by providing the low redshift sample for comparison with their high redshift counterparts. Although the result so far is a large and homogeneous set of Type I light curves and spectra, the sample still needs to be expanded, as it is not yet quite large enough to eliminate statistical noise when measuring the properties of the dark energy. Continuing this work for a further three years will allow investigation of possible systematic effects of stellar age and chemical evolution, as well as improve understanding of Type Ib/c supernovae, and investigate their link with gamma-ray bursts.Dark energy is currently a topic of very wide public interest, and the PI is active at bringing research results to students and the public through his existing popular book, developed museum exhibits, writing a textbook, and being a frequent speaker across the USA and on television and radio.