Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Univ., 2004. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Stockholms universitet, 2008. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Galaxies, and clusters of galaxies, can act as gravitational lenses and magnify the light of objects behind them. The effect enables observations of very distant supernovae, that otherwise would be too faint to be detected by existing telescopes, and allows studies of the frequency and properties of these rare phenomena when the universe was young. Under the right circumstances, multiple images of the lensed supernovae can be observed, and due to the variable nature of the objects, the difference between the arrival times of the images can be measured. Since the images have taken different paths through space before reaching us, the time-differences are sensitive to the expansion rate of the universe. One class of supernovae, Type Ia, are of particular interest to detect. Their well known brightness can be used to determine the magnification, which can be used to understand the lensing systems. In this thesis, galaxy clusters are used as gravitational telescopes to search for lensed supernovae at high redshift. Ground-based, near-infrared and optical search campaigns are described of the massive clusters Abell 1689 and 370, which are among the most powerful gravitational telescopes known. The search resulted in the discovery of five photometrically classified, core-collapse supernovae at redshifts of 0.671&lt;z&lt;1.703 with significant magnification from the cluster. Owing to the power of the lensing cluster, the volumetric core-collapse supernova rates for 0.4 ≤ z &lt; 2.9 were calculated, and found to be in good agreement with previous estimates and predictions from cosmic star formation history. During the survey, two Type Ia supernovae in A1689 cluster members were also discovered, which allowed the Type Ia explosion rate in galaxy clusters to be estimated. Furthermore, the expectations of finding lensed supernovae at high redshift in simulated search campaigns that can be conducted with upcoming ground- and space-based telescopes, are discussed. Magnification from a galaxy lens also allows for detailed studies of the supernova properties at high redshift that otherwise would not be possible. Spectroscopic observations of lensed high-redshift supernovae Type Ia are of special interest since they can be used to test for evolution of the standard candle nature of these objects. If systematic redshift-dependent properties are found, their utility for future surveys could be challenged. In the thesis it is shown that the strongly lensed and very distant supernova Type Ia PS1-10afx at z=1.4, does not deviate from the well-studied nearby and intermediate populations of normal supernovae Type Ia. In a different study, the discovery of the first resolved multiply-imaged gravitationally lensed supernova Type Ia is also reported. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript.</p>

Massive stars live fast and die young. They shine furiously for a few million years, during which time they synthesize most of the heavy elements in the universe in their cores. They end by blowing themselves up in a powerful explosion known as a supernova (SN). During this process, the core collapses to a neutron star or a black hole, while the outer layers are expelled with velocities of thousands of kilometers per second. The resulting fireworks often outshine the entire host galaxy for many weeks. The explosion energy is eventually radiated away, but powering of the newborn nebula continues by radioactive isotopes synthesized in the explosion. The ejecta are now quite transparent, and we can see the material produced in the deep interiors of the star. To interpret the observations, detailed spectral modeling is needed. This thesis aims to develop and apply state-of-the-art computational tools for interpreting and modeling SN observations in the nebular phase. This requires calculation of the physical conditions throughout the nebula, including non-thermal processes from the radioactivity, thermal and statistical equilibrium, as well as radiative transport. The inclusion of multiline radiative transfer, which we compute with a Monte Carlo technique, represents one of the major advancements presented in this thesis. On February 23 1987, the first SN observable by the naked eye since 1604 exploded, SN 1987A. Its proximity has allowed unprecedented observations, which in turn have lead to significant advancements in our understanding of SN explosions. As a first application of our model, we analyze the 44Tipowered phase (t &amp; 5 years) of SN 1987A. We find that a magnetic field is present in the nebula, trapping the positrons that provide the energy input, and resulting in strong iron lines in the spectrum. We determine the 44Ti mass to 1.5(+0.5−0.5)*10−4 M⊙. From the near-infrared spectrum at an age of 19 years, we identify strong emission lines from explosively synthesized metals such as silicon, calcium, and iron. We use integral-field spectroscopy to construct three-dimensional maps of the ejecta, showing a morphology suggesting an asymmetric explosion. The model is then applied to the close-by and well-observed Type IIP SN 2004et, analyzing its ultraviolet to mid-infrared evolution. Based on its Mg I] 4571 Å, Na I 5890, 5896 Å, [O I] 6300, 6364 Å, and [Ne II] 12.81 mm nebular emission lines, we determine its progenitor mass to be around 15 M⊙. We confirm that silicate dust, SiO, and CO have formed in the ejecta. Finally, the major optical emission lines in a sample of Type IIP SNe areanalyzed.We find that most spectral regions in Type IIP SNe are dominated by emission from the massive hydrogen envelope, which explains the relatively small variation seen in the sample. We also show that the similar line profiles seen from all elements suggest extensive mixing occurring in most hydrogenrich SNe. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Accepted.