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Optical Light Curves of Supernovae

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Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursters

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Physics ((LNP,volume 598))

Abstract

Photometry is the most easily acquired information about supernovae. The light curves constructed from regular imaging provide signatures not only for the energy input, the radiation escape, the local environment and the progenitor stars, but also for the intervening dust. They are the main tool for the use of supernovae as distance indicators through the determination of the luminosity.

The light curve of SN1987A still is the richest and longest observed example for a core-collapse supernova. Despite the peculiar nature of this object, as explosion of a blue supergiant, it displayed all the characteristics of type II supernovae. The light curves of type Ib/c supernovae are more homogeneous, but still display the signatures of explosions in massive stars, among them early interaction with their circumstellar material.

Wrinkles in the near-uniform appearance of thermonuclear (type Ia) supernovae have emerged during the past decade. Subtle differences have been observed especially at near infrared (NIR) wavelengths. Interestingly, the light curve shapes appear to correlate with a variety of other characteristics of these supernovae.

The construction of bolometric light curves provides the most direct link to theoretical predictions and can yield sorely needed constraints for the models. First steps in this direction have been already made.

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  1. European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, D-85748, Garching, Germany

    Bruno Leibundgut

  2. Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Casilla 603, La Serena, Chile

    Nicholas B. Suntzeff

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  1. NRL-Code 7213, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, 20375-5320, USA

    Kurt W. Weiler

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Leibundgut, B., Suntzeff, N.B. (2003). Optical Light Curves of Supernovae. In: Weiler, K.W. (eds) Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursters. Lecture Notes in Physics, vol 598. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45863-8_6

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