LDSNPS · Linking the diversity of Type Ia supernovae to their progenitor systems

Linking the diversity of Type Ia supernovae to their progenitor systems

As a Marie Curie Intra-European Fellow, I undertook an innovative programme of research to further our understanding of how stars explode, and how they can be used to measure distances in the Universe. Since the discovery of the Accelerating Universe using Type Ia supernovae in the late 90’s, much effort has been expended to understand the stars that explode and how this affects their observed properties. The aim of research project was to compare new state-of-the-art observations with predictions from theory of the explosion mechanism. I performed two complementary studies to uncover the properties of the stars that explode as Type Ia supernovae, and how their properties depend on the environments in which they explode. I used data from leading ground-based transient surveys to look at the connection between the observed properties (expansion velocities, presence of elements, and luminosities) of Type Ia supernovae and theoretical explosion models. Some explosion models could be ruled out based on the presence of high-velocity unburnt material in the supernova observations. The supernova properties were also found to be linked to the properties of the locations within which they explode. The detailed results of the two analyses can be found in two peer-reviewed lead author publications (Maguire et al. 2014, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 444, 3258, Maguire et al. 2015, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, submitted). The management of the project went smoothly, with no major delays and was finished within the planned two years. New collaborations were made while at the host institute, and existing ones were strengthened. While at ESO, I broadened my astronomy knowledge and acquired new advanced data skills. My leadership abilities were enhanced by taking on key roles in scientific collaborations that I am involved in. I also developed my mentoring skills by acting as a fellow mentor for a PhD student at ESO. The socio-economic impact of astrophysics research is not easily quantifiable. However, there are few people who have not looked at the stars and wondered about their origin. Attempting to understand our Universe and how it came to be are fundamental scientific and philosophical concepts. By studying the properties of Type Ia supernovae, I have increased our knowledge of the explosive deaths of stars, and made advancements so that future measurements of the mysterious quantity, ‘dark energy’, will be better constrained. I will continue to give public talks and hold outreach events on this topic and other new discoveries in astrophysics. In this way, the results of my research can be communicated back to the public, and hopefully increase their understanding and wonder of the Universe.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union