SOUSA: the Swift Optical/Ultraviolet Supernova Archive
Abstract
The Ultra-Violet Optical Telescope on the Swift spacecraft has observed hundreds of supernovae, covering all major types and most subtypes. Here we introduce the Swift Optical/Ultraviolet Supernova Archive (SOUSA), which will contain all of the supernova images and photometry. We describe the observation and reduction procedures and how they impact the final data. We show photometry from well-observed examples of most supernova classes, whose absolute magnitudes and colors may be used to infer supernova types in the absence of a spectrum. A full understanding of the variety within classes and a robust photometric separation of the groups requires a larger sample, which will be provided by the final archive. The data from the existing Swift supernovae are also useful for planning future observations with Swift as well as future UV observatories.
- Publication:
-
Astrophysics and Space Science
- Pub Date:
- November 2014
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s10509-014-2059-8
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1407.3808
- Bibcode:
- 2014Ap&SS.354...89B
- Keywords:
-
- Supernovae;
- Ultraviolet;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena;
- Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Accepted for publication in the UV issue of Astrophysics and Space Science 10 pages, 6 figures SOUSA is an archive in progress with data being posted to the Swift SN website: http://swift.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/swift/sne/swift_sn.html