The Type Ia Supernova 2004S, a Clone of SN 2001el, and the Optimal Photometric Bands for Extinction Estimation

We present optical (UBVRI) and near-IR (YJHK) photometry of the normal Type Ia supernova (SN) 2004S. We also present eight optical spectra and one near-IR spectrum of SN 2004S. The light curves and spectra are nearly identical to those of SN 2001el. This is the first time we have seen optical and IR...

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Published inThe Astronomical journal Vol. 133; no. 1; pp. 58 - 72
Main Authors Krisciunas, Kevin, Garnavich, Peter M, Stanishev, Vallery, Suntzeff, Nicholas B, Prieto, Jose Luis, Espinoza, Juan, Gonzalez, David, Salvo, Maria Elena, Elias de la Rosa, Nancy, Smartt, Stephen J, Maund, Justyn R, Kudritzki, Rolf-Peter
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published IOP Publishing 01.01.2007
Subjects
Astronomi och astrofysik
Astronomy and astrophysics
constant
decline rate
dust
extinction
Fysik
infrared photometry
light curves
maximum light
NATURAL SCIENCES
NATURVETENSKAP
optical photometry
Physics
precise distance
SN 2001el
standard stars
supernovae : individual (SN 2004S
techniques : photometrichubble-space-telescope
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Summary:We present optical (UBVRI) and near-IR (YJHK) photometry of the normal Type Ia supernova (SN) 2004S. We also present eight optical spectra and one near-IR spectrum of SN 2004S. The light curves and spectra are nearly identical to those of SN 2001el. This is the first time we have seen optical and IR light curves of two Type Ia SNe match so closely. Within the one parameter family of light curves for normal Type Ia SNe, that two objects should have such similar light curves implies that they had identical intrinsic colors and produced similar amounts of Ni-56. From the similarities of the light-curve shapes we obtain a set of extinctions as a function of wavelength that allows a simultaneous solution for the distance modulus difference of the two objects, the difference of the host galaxy extinctions, and RV. Since SN 2001el had roughly an order of magnitude more host galaxy extinction than SN 2004S, the value of R-V = 2.15(-0.22)(+0.24) pertains primarily to dust in the host galaxy of SN 2001el. We have also shown via Monte Carlo simulations that adding rest-frame J-band photometry to the complement of BVRI photometry of Type Ia SNe decreases the uncertainty in the distance modulus by a factor of 2.7. A combination of rest-frame optical and near-IR photometry clearly gives more accurate distances than using rest-frame optical photometry alone.
ISSN:1538-3881
0004-6256
1538-3881
DOI:10.1086/509126