The Kepler/K2 Supernova Cosmology Experiment

Talk presented at ESA's 2018 XMM-Newton Science Workshop in Madrid on June 15th, 2018.

Transcript

1. Geert Barentsen (@GeertHub)
   The Kepler/K2 Supernova Experiment
   Geert Barentsen
   Kepler/K2 GO Director

   NASA Ames Research Center
   geert.barentsen@nasa.gov
   

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2. Geert Barentsen (@GeertHub)
   Over the past year, the Kepler Space Telescope has
   monitored over 50,000 galaxies using uninterrupted,
   high-precision, high-cadence optical photometry.
   This public data set is known to include at least

   40 supernovae which await analysis.
   

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3. Kepler was launched on March 6, 2009
   0.95-m Schmidt
   100 Mpixel array (100 deg2)

   1 or 30 min cadence
   wide passband (V+R+I)
   

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4. Kepler’s prime mission observed a single
   field in Cygnus from 2009 through 2013
   

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5. Since 2014, Kepler visits a new field
   every 3 months
   ecliptic
   This is called the K2 Mission
   

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6. Geert Barentsen (@GeertHub)
   K2’s science has been diverse
   and community-led
   • Planets around bright and nearby stars

   ex. GJ 9827, TRAPPIST-1.
   • Rotation and activity in young and old star clusters

   ex. Taurus, Pleiades, Beehive, Lagoon Nebula, M67.
   • Hundreds of pulsating White Dwarfs and Cataclysmic Variables

   => continuous monitoring across 80-day periods
   

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7. Geert Barentsen (@GeertHub)
   Evidence for a Quasi-Periodic Oscillation in the
   Kepler light curve of an active galaxy (Smith+ 2018)
   => The frequency is thought to be predictive of black hole mass.
   

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8. Geert Barentsen (@GeertHub)
   In 2015, Kepler caught a supernova with a Type Ia shape,
   but a rise time 10x faster than other Type Ia’s
   (Rest+ 2018)
   

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9. Geert Barentsen (@GeertHub)
   Despite Type Ia supernovae being used to discover the
   accelerating expansion of the Universe, we still do not
   understand the nature of the progenitor system, e.g.
   • White Dwarf accreting from a companion?

   (single degenerate scenario)
   • Merger of two White Dwarfs?

   (double degenerate scenario)
   Do multiple scenarios lead to SN Ia’s?

   In what proportion?!
   

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10. *
    Observational tests for the single degenerate scenario
    arise from the fact that the companion is struck by
    ejecta from the supernova shortly after the explosion
    Animation: NASA/JPL-Caltech
    

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11. Geert Barentsen (@GeertHub)
    During Kepler’s original mission, three
    Type Ia SN were observed. (Olling+ 2015)
    Result: none showed excess flux in the
    early-rise lightcurve.
    Were they all double degenerate
    progenitors, or single degenerate
    systems with a particular line of sight?
    The K2 Supernova Experiment aims
    to increase the sample ten-fold.
    

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12. Geert Barentsen (@GeertHub)
    Dec 2017 - May 2018: “K2 Supernova Experiment”
    => Kepler studied 50,000 galaxies in two fields across 6 months,
    accompanied by multi-color monitoring from the ground.

    (Including PanSTARRS and ASASSN.)
    

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14. http://lightkurve.keplerscience.org
    We recently released new Python tools and
    tutorials for Kepler data analysis
    

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15. Geert Barentsen (@GeertHub)
    Kepler’s recent surveys of galaxies is
    able to add a new dimension to the
    study of high energy transients.
    The data are public and await analysis;
    including Supernovae, AGN, and CVs.
    Significant opportunities exist for future
    exoplanet transit surveys!
    

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16. Geert Barentsen (@GeertHub)
    

    keplergo@mail.arc.nasa.gov

    

    https://keplerscience.arc.nasa.gov
    

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