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M. Chiacchio, V. Chakrapani (Hampton University)
The absolute light curves for type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) will be analyzed in the optical and the near-infrared (IR) using data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The optical light curves will be constructed using photometry in the UBVRI bands and the relationship between the peak-luminosity decline rate will be examined. This relationship was discovered over 20 years (Barbon et al. 1972, Pskovski 1977, 1984). From this research it was suggested that the SNe Ia decline rates, delta m15(B), were well correlated with their peak luminosities and later confirmed by Philips (1993). This discovery has led to important implications for determining distances in the universe and can serve as standard candles of measurement for extragalactic distances. The decline rate relationship will be examined and compared to other well known measured light curves of SN Ia. The light curves in the near-IR will also be measured using the J, H, and K bands from HST data. The absolute peak luminosities will be determined to study its relationship with the decline rate in the optical region of the spectrum. It will be determined whether this relationship is better correlated in the near-IR. It has already been suggested that the absolute magnitudes in the H band have little dependence on the decline rate (Philips et al. 2003). Also, it was discovered that the secondary maxima in the light curves occurs later and more strongly for slower declining SNe Ia. These results will be further investigated using these two supernovae and possibly suggest that SNe Ia in the near-IR are better for representing cosmological standard candles.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #2
© 2005. The American Astronomical Soceity.