Spring 1999
Nearby Supernova Campaign
Coordination Center



All materials on this and other /nearsearch pages are copyrighted. Use of quantitative information from these pages is strictly forbidden without explicit permission. Qualitative information should be cited as "Aldering et al., LBL Nearby Supernova Campaign Webpage (http://panisse.lbl.gov/nearsearch/)."


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Science Results
Data Reduction Plans
Data Reduction Software & Issues
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Light Curves
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Reporting a New Supernova
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Redshifts


Results - Discovery and/or Confirmation of Nearby SNe:



Mission Statement:

Several supernova search and asteroid search groups have formed an alliance to find a large batch of nearby supernova during the Spring of 1999. Participating search groups include:

Each of these groups have their own scientific interests and needs, and are securing the follow-up resources required to satisfy them. The key element of the alliance is that by running all of the supernova searches simultaneously these follow-up resources will be used in a concentrated and complementary fashion to supplement the follow-up plans of each of these groups in order to have the well sampled photometric and spectroscopic follow-up required to obtain the greatest scientific return. Those groups that wish to can execute their programs with as much independence as they desire, but we expect rich collaborations between groups to develop naturally as the campaign progresses.

For a brief summary of each of the supernova searches, click here .


Basic Data:

The basic data which is integral to this campaign includes:

Science Goals:

With the above basic data we hope to accomplish the following science goals:

The resulting dataset will also allow detailed exploration of SNe~Ia properties never before possible, which will almost certainly lead to a better understanding of SN physics, and may also result in means of standardizing SNe~Ia in ways not previously envisioned. It will enable us to determine:


Observing Tools:

We have developed tools to help with scheduling and planning of observations. These include:


Search Regions:

EROS:
10h < RA < 14h, -12 < Dec < -6; a plot of the field centers is here.
QUEST:
8h < RA < 15h, -1.3 < Dec < 1.3 (not yet firm)
MOSAIC:
RA ranges in both northern and southern caps, 0 < Dec < -10
SpaceWatch:
Feb fields are listed here.
El Roble:
unknown at this time
I hope to have a plot of these regions on-line once the field locations become firm.

Documents:

The following documents are available:


Data Reduction Plans:

  • A descriptive narrative of data reduction tasks , presented to the SCP at the May 1999 collaboration meeting.
  • A first cut at describing the responsibilities for the major papers , presented to the SCP at the May 1999 collaboration meeting.
  • An initial document describing the plan for data reduction , as discussed at the June 2000 SCP collaboration meeting.

    Data Reduction Software/Issues:

  • An IRAF CL script, erase_restore.cl, to restore the eraseline to Lick CCD observations.
  • Postage stamps of YALO images taken in Stromgren U, Johnson B, Johnson V, Wide R, and Kron-Cousins I, showing the strong background gradient, with images sorted by time and by sky brightness:
    U-band; sorted by sky brightness & U-band; sorted by date
    B-band; sorted by sky brightness & B-band; sorted by date
    V-band; sorted by sky brightness & V-band; sorted by date
    R-band; sorted by sky brightness & R-band; sorted by date
    I-band; sorted by sky brightness & I-band; sorted by date
    The scale is set so that each image spans +/- 10% around the median sky brightness. Thus, one can see that sky gradients of more than 20% exist across many images. Also note that the gradient is often along the columns of the CCD, pointing to a problem with the characterisation of the CCD leading to improper data reduction and ruling out moonlight or other natural sources which might induce a gradient. The problem seems more frequent when the sky is faint, suggesting problems with charge-transfer inefficiency or incorrect bias subtraction.

    Publications/Science Results:

  • Type Ia Supernovae & Cosmic Acceleration, Aldering, G. (2000), AIP Conference Proceeding: Cosmic Explosions, ed. S. S. Holt & W. W. Zhang, Woodbury, New York: American Institute of Physics.
  • A first draft of Nicolas Regnault's thesis. NOT FOR OUTSIDE DISTRIBUTION!
  • English language summary of first draft of Nicolas Regnault's thesis. NOT FOR OUTSIDE DISTRIBUTION!
  • Maria Cruz conference proceedings paper

    Contacts:

    Greg Aldering (email) is coordinating the searching and follow-up for the Supernova Cosmology Project, Chris Smith (email) is coordinating the searching and follow-up for the MOSAIC/CTIO Team, Brad Schaefer (email) is running the QUEST supernova search and follow-up, and Jim Rich (email) is running the EROS search.

    Greg Aldering (email) is the author of this web page and most of its associated content. Please contact him for more information or with updated information. Robert Quimby (email) is the author of LinCal and WhatsUp and should be contacted if problems arise in the functioning of these tools. Greg Aldering should be contacted concerning the content of these tools (e.g., dates on the schedule).

    Warning: These pages present on-going scientific research and this material is not intended for inclusion in publications or proposals, scientific or otherwise, without explicite prior approval from the undersigned.

    This is a first version of this home page. Please let me know if there are problems with it. I am reachable at:

    Greg Aldering
    Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory 50-232
    University of California
    Berkeley, CA  94720
    
    Phone:  (510) 495-2203
    Fax:    (510) 486-5401
    Internet:  galdering@lbl.gov
    

    Greg Aldering (galdering@lbl.gov)
    last updated Apr 26, 1999