Light Curves of Type IA Supernovae
Abstract
VRI light curves of five Type Ia supernovae (1991B, 1991N, 1991T, 1991bg, and 1992G) have been obtained with CCDs attached to small telescopes at northeastern sites. The data have been carefully transformed to the standard system using images obtained with the 0.9m telescope at KPNO. The first three supernovae have faded sufficiently that we can carefully correct for the galactic background and, in particular, its effect on the determination of fade rates at late times. SN 1991bg clearly demonstrates that there can be gross differences among Type Ia's in the shape (and maximum brightness) of their light curves (Filippenko et al., preprint). We investigate whether a single "template" can be devised which fits the R and I light curve shapes of the other four supernovae in our sample, and the degree to which each fits the V template of Leibundgut (1988, Ph.D. thesis, U. of Basel). The distinctive secondary maximum seen in I (about 18 days after primary maximum; Balonek et al., preprint) should be useful for distinguishing peculiar Type Ia's like SN 1991bg, and for establishing the time of maximum brightness for supernovae that were discovered up to three weeks afterwards. We thank the W. M. Keck Foundation for their support of the Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium. This project is an outgrowth of that support.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #180
- Pub Date:
- May 1992
- Bibcode:
- 1992AAS...180.3901F