The first ten years of Swift supernovae

Peter J. Brown, Peter W.A. Roming, Peter A. Milne

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer has proven to be an incredible platform for studying the multiwavelength properties of supernova explosions. In its first ten years, Swift has observed over three hundred supernovae. The ultraviolet observations reveal a complex diversity of behavior across supernova types and classes. Even amongst the standard candle type Ia supernovae, ultraviolet observations reveal distinct groups. When the UVOT data is combined with higher redshift optical data, the relative populations of these groups appear to change with redshift. Among core-collapse supernovae, Swift discovered the shock breakout of two supernovae and the Swift data show a diversity in the cooling phase of the shock breakout of supernovae discovered from the ground and promptly followed up with Swift. Swift observations have resulted in an incredible dataset of UV and X-ray data for comparison with high-redshift supernova observations and theoretical models. Swift's supernova program has the potential to dramatically improve our understanding of stellar life and death as well as the history of our universe.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)111-116
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of High Energy Astrophysics
Volume7
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics

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