Detail for Program: GN-2009B-Q-23

Abstract

We wish to continue our Laser Guide Star adaptive optics program commenced in Semester 2008A to detect and study supernovae (SNe) in the nuclear regions of a sample of northern Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs). Discovering this previously hidden population of highly-obscured core-collapse supernovae is crucial for revising the optically-derived SN rates (which certainly miss a significant fraction of all the SN events in the local and distant Universe), which in turn provide an independent measurement of the star formation history of the Universe. This program has already discovered 2 otherwise unnoticed supernovae including SN 2008cs, the most heavily-extinguished supernova ever found, with A_V~18 mag. We expect to discover at least 3 more supernovae by the end of this year.

Publications using this program's data

[data] [ADS] The K-band luminosity functions of super star clusters in luminous infrared galaxies, their slopes and the effects of blending

[data] [ADS] Near-infrared Adaptive Optics Imaging of Infrared Luminous Galaxies: The Brightest Cluster Magnitude-Star Formation Rate Relation

[data] [ADS] The nature of supernovae 2010O and 2010P in Arp 299 - I. Near-infrared and optical evolution

[data] [ADS] A dust-enshrouded tidal disruption event with a resolved radio jet in a galaxy merger

[data] [ADS] The SUNBIRD survey: the K-band luminosity functions of young massive clusters in intensely star-forming galaxies

Title:	ALTAIR Study of Supernovae in Luminous Infrared Galaxies
PI:	Stuart Ryder
Co-I(s):	Seppo Mattila, Erkki Kankare, Petri Vaisanen, Miguel Perez-Torres, Cristina Romero-Canizales, Antxon Alberdi, Luis Colina, Almudena Alonso-Herrero, Andreas Efstathiou, Jari Kotilainen