Ray Carlberg, Andy Howell, Kathy Perrett, * Chris Pritchet, Mark Sullivan, Richard McMahon, Emma Walker, Greg Aldering, * Saul Perlmutter, Reynald Pain, Alex Conley
Abstract
Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) currently provide the most direct evidence
for an accelerating Universe and the existence of an unknown "dark
energy". We are now entering the final year of the
Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS), whch is generating a
definitive dataset with well-sampled g'r'i'z' light curves and
spectroscopic confirmation. With the full sample we expect to determine the cosmological equation of state
parameter <w> to a statistical precision better than +/-0.05, testing theories
for the nature of dark energy.
Spectroscopy is central to the survey's success. Approximately 500 SNe Ia will be
spectroscopically confirmed in a coherent program involving Gemini,
VLT and Keck. This is the continuation of our core SNLS proposal, and aims to obtain types and
redshifts for ~30 SN Ia candidates with redshifts 0.6-0.9. A companion
proposal (PI Howell) aims to increase the legacy value
of the entire survey. This is a quick response proposal for GMOS-N.
Publications using this program's data
[data][ADS] Type ia Supernovae Rates and Galaxy Clustering from the CFHT Supernova Legacy Survey
[data][ADS] Supernova Shock Breakout from a Red Supergiant
[data][ADS] Supernova Constraints and Systematic Uncertainties from the First Three Years of the Supernova Legacy Survey
[data][ADS] Supernova Legacy Survey: using spectral signatures to improve Type Ia supernovae as distance indicators
[data][ADS] Two Superluminous Supernovae from the Early Universe Discovered by the Supernova Legacy Survey