Program: GS-2015A-Q-7

We pioneered the use of Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics on Gemini to reveal a previously hidden population of core-collapse supernovae in Luminous Infra-Red Galaxies (LIRGs). The fraction of supernovae missed in optical surveys could be up to 50%. To measure the fraction of heavily obscured supernovae, high-precision infrared observations are essential. By extending our survey to southern LIRGs, we will exploit the significant improvement in PSF uniformity and field of view offered by GSAOI with GeMS. The SUNBIRD (Supernovae UNmasked By Infra-Red Detection) project will monitor a dozen LIRGs over 4 semesters, aiming to triple the sample of obscured supernovae. We will quantify the star formation rates and extinction distributions in LIRGs, keys to reducing the uncertainty on the obscured supernova fraction. The data on the LIRGs themselves will be of immense value to the community for understanding the dusty, starbursting galaxies at high redshift.