Detection of the Gravitational Lens Magnifying a Type Ia Supernova
Abstract
Objects of known brightness, like Type Ia supernovae (SNIa), can be used to measure distances. If a massive object warps spacetime to form multiple images of a background SNIa, a direct test of cosmic expansion is also possible. However, these lensing events must first be distinguished from other rare phenomena. Recently, a supernova was found to shine much brighter than normal for its distance, which resulted in a debate: was it a new type of superluminous supernova or a normal SNIa magnified by a hidden gravitational lens? Here we report that a spectrum obtained after the supernova faded away shows the presence of a foreground galaxy--the first found to strongly magnify a SNIa. We discuss how more lensed SNIa may be found than previously predicted.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1404.6014,
title = {Detection of the Gravitational Lens Magnifying a Type Ia Supernova},
author = {Robert M. Quimby and Masamune Oguri and Anupreeta More and Surhud More and Takashi J. Moriya and Marcus C. Werner and Masayuki Tanaka and Gaston Folatelli and Melina C. Bersten and Keiichi Maeda and Ken'ichi Nomoto},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1404.6014},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
32 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in Science