Calculating Galactic Distances Through Supernova Light Curve Analysis (Abstract)

Volume 46 number 1 (2018)

Jane Glanzer

Minnesota State University, Moorhead, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 1104 7th Avenue South, Moorhead, MN 56563; mcraig@mnstate.edu

Abstract

(Abstract only) The purpose of this project is to experimentally determine the distance to the galaxy M101 by using data that were taken on the type Ia supernova SN 2011fe at the Paul P. Feder Observatory. Type Ia supernovae are useful for determining distances in astronomy because they all have roughly the same luminosity at the peak of their outburst. Comparing the apparent magnitude to the absolute magnitude allows a measurement of the distance. The absolute magnitude is estimated in two ways: using an empirical relationship from the literature between the rate of decline and the absolute magnitude, and using sncosmo, a PYTHON package used for supernova light curve analysis that fits model light curves to the photometric data.