The Three Faces of Omega_m: Testing Gravity with Low and High Redshift SN Ia Surveys

Peculiar velocities of galaxies hosting Type Ia supernovae generate a significant systematic effect in deriving the dark energy equation of state w, at level of a few percent. Here we illustrate how the peculiar velocity effect in SN Ia data can be turned from a 'systematic' into a probe of cosmological parameters. We assume a flat Lambda-Cold Dark Matter model (w=-1) and use low and high redshift SN Ia data to derive simultaneously three distinct estimates of the matter density Omega_m which appear in the problem: from the geometry, from the dynamics and from the shape of the matter power spectrum. We find that each of the three Omega_m's agree with the canonical value Omega_m=0.25 to within 1 sigma, for reasonably assumed fluctuation amplitude and Hubble parameter. This is consistent with the standard cosmological scenario for both the geometry and the growth of structure. For fixed Omega_m = 0.25 for all three Omega_m's, we constrain gamma = 0.72 +/- 0.21 in the growth factor Omega_m(z)^gamma, so we cannot currently distinguish between standard Einstein gravity and predictions from some modified gravity models. Future surveys of thousands of SN Ia, or inclusion of peculiar velocity data, could significantly improve the above tests.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRAS (Letters), 5 pages, 4 figures. Small changes to improve the text and the figures. Some further discussion, 1 equation and 1 reference adde

Dark energy FRW cosmology - dynamical system reconstruction

We develop a simple method of dark energy reconstruction using a geometrical form of the luminosity-distance relation. In this method the FRW dynamical system with dark energy is reconstructed instead of the equation of state parameter. We give several examples which illustrate the usefulness of our method in fitting the redshift transition from the decelerating to accelerating phase as the value of the Hubble function at the transition.Comment: Talk presented at Spanish Relativity Meeting 2007, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Spain, 10-14 September 200

SweetSpot: Near-Infrared Observations of Thirteen Type Ia Supernovae from a New NOAO Survey Probing the Nearby Smooth Hubble Flow

We present 13 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) observed in the restframe near-infrared (NIR) from 0.02 < z < 0.09 with the WIYN High-resolution Infrared Camera (WHIRC) on the WIYN 3.5-m telescope. With only 1-3 points per light curve and a prior on the time of maximum from the spectrum used to type the object we measure an H-band dispersion of spectroscopically normal SNe Ia of 0.164 mag. These observations continue to demonstrate the improved standard brightness of SNe Ia in H-band even with limited data. Our sample includes two SNe Ia at z ~ 0.09, which represent the most distant restframe NIR H-band observations published to date. This modest sample of 13 NIR SNe Ia represent the pilot sample for "SweetSpot" - a three-year NOAO Survey program that will observe 144 SNe Ia in the smooth Hubble flow. By the end of the survey we will have measured the relative distance to a redshift of z ~ 0.05 to 1%. Nearby Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) observations such as these will test the standard nature of SNe Ia in the restframe NIR, allow insight into the nature of dust, and provide a critical anchor for future cosmological SN Ia surveys at higher redshift.Comment: 36 pages, 8 figures, Submitted to Ap

Photometry of SN 2002ic and Implications for the Progenitor Mass-Loss History

We present new pre-maximum and late-time optical photometry of the Type Ia/IIn supernova 2002ic. These observations are combined with the published V-band magnitudes of Hamuy et al. (2003) and the VLT spectrophotometry of Wang et al. (2004) to construct the most extensive light curve to date of this unusual supernova. The observed flux at late time is significantly higher relative to the flux at maximum than that of any other observed Type Ia supernova and continues to fade very slowly a year after explosion. Our analysis of the light curve suggests that a non-Type Ia supernova component becomes prominent $\sim20$ days after explosion. Modeling of the non-Type Ia supernova component as heating from the shock interaction of the supernova ejecta with pre-existing circumstellar material suggests the presence of a $\sim1.7 10^{15}$ cm gap or trough between the progenitor system and the surrounding circumstellar material. This gap could be due to significantly lower mass-loss $\sim15 (v_w/10 km/s)^{-1}$ years prior to explosion or evacuation of the circumstellar material by a low-density fast wind. The latter is consistent with observed properties of proto-planetary nebulae and with models of white-dwarf + asymptotic giant branch star progenitor systems with the asymptotic giant branch star in the proto-planetary nebula phase.Comment: accepted for publication in Ap

Gamma-ray burst contributions to constraining the evolution of dark energy

We explore the gamma-ray bursts' (GRBs') contributions in constraining the dark energy equation of state (EOS) at high ($1.8 < z < 7$) and at middle redshifts ($0.5 < z < 1.8$) and estimate how many GRBs are needed to get substantial constraints at high redshifts. We estimate the constraints with mock GRBs and mock type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) for comparisons. When constraining the dark energy EOS in a certain redshift range, we allow the dark energy EOS parameter to vary only in that redshift bin and fix EOS parameters elsewhere to -1. We find that it is difficult to constrain the dark energy EOS beyond the redshifts of SNe Ia with GRBs unless some new luminosity relations for GRBs with smaller scatters are discovered. However, at middle redshifts, GRBs have comparable contributions with SNe Ia in constraining the dark energy EOS.Comment: 3 pages, 5 figures. Published in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Corrected referenc

Curved Space or Curved Vacuum?

While the simple picture of a spatially flat, matter plus cosmological constant universe fits current observation of the accelerated expansion, strong consideration has also been given to models with dynamical vacuum energy. We examine the tradeoff of ``curving'' the vacuum but retaining spatial flatness, vs. curving space but retaining the cosmological constant. These different breakdowns in the simple picture could readily be distinguished by combined high accuracy supernovae and cosmic microwave background distance measurements. If we allow the uneasy situation of both breakdowns, the curvature can still be measured to 1%, but at the price of degrading estimation of the equation of state time variation by 60% or more, unless additional information (such as weak lensing data or a tight matter density prior) is included.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures; minor changes to match version accepted to Astroparticle Physics and correct typo at bottom of page

Dark Energy Accretion onto a Black Hole in an Expanding Universe

By using the solution describing a black hole embedded in the FLRW universe, we obtain the evolving equation of the black hole mass expressed in terms of the cosmological parameters. The evolving equation indicates that in the phantom dark energy universe the black hole mass becomes zero before the Big Rip is reached.Comment: 7 pages, no figures, errors is correcte

Novae as a Mechanism for Producing Cavities around the Progenitors of SN 2002ic and Other SNe Ia

We propose that a nova shell ejected from a recurrent nova progenitor system created the evacuated region around the explosion center of SN 2002ic. In this picture, periodic shell ejections due to nova explosions on a white dwarf sweep up the slow wind from the binary companion, creating density variations and instabilities that lead to structure in the circumstellar medium (CSM). Our model naturally explains the observed gap between the supernova explosion center and the CSM in SN 2002ic, accounts for the density variations observed in the CSM, and resolves the coincidence problem of the timing of the explosion of SN 2002ic with respect to the apparent cessation of mass-loss in the progenitor system. We also consider such nova outburst sweeping as a generic feature of Type Ia supernovae with recurrent nova progenitors.Comment: Accepted to ApJL. 11 pages, 1 tabl

The First Data Release from SweetSpot: 74 Supernovae in 36 Nights on WIYN+WHIRC

SweetSpot is a three-year National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) Survey program to observe Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in the smooth Hubble flow with the WIYN High-resolution Infrared Camera (WHIRC) on the WIYN 3.5-m telescope. We here present data from the first half of this survey, covering the 2011B-2013B NOAO semesters, and consisting of 493 calibrated images of 74 SNe Ia observed in the rest-frame near-infrared (NIR) from $0.02 < z < 0.09$. Because many observed supernovae require host galaxy subtraction from templates taken in later semesters, this release contains only the 186 NIR ($JHK_s$) data points for the 33 SNe Ia that do not require host-galaxy subtraction. The sample includes 4 objects with coverage beginning before the epoch of B-band maximum and 27 beginning within 20 days of B-band maximum. We also provide photometric calibration between the WIYN+WHIRC and Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) systems along with light curves for 786 2MASS stars observed alongside the SNe Ia. This work is the first in a planned series of three SweetSpot Data Releases. Future releases will include the full set of images from all 3 years of the survey, including host-galaxy reference images and updated data processing and host-galaxy reference subtraction. SweetSpot will provide a well-calibrated sample that will help improve our ability to standardize distance measurements to SNe Ia, examine the intrinsic optical-NIR colors of SNe Ia at different epochs, explore nature of dust in other galaxies, and act as a stepping stone for more distant, potentially space-based surveys.Comment: Published in AJ. 10 tables. 11 figures. Lightcurve plots included as a figureset and available in source tarball. Data online at http://www.phyast.pitt.edu/~wmwv/SweetSpot/DR1_data