Published November 20, 2011 | Version v1
Journal article Metadata-only

A HIGHLY MAGNIFIED SUPERNOVA AT z = 1.703 BEHIND THE MASSIVE GALAXY CLUSTER A1689

Creators

  • 1. Department of Physics, Stockholm University, Albanova University Centre, SE 106-91 Stockholm (Sweden)
  • 2. Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR 6610, CNRS-Université de Provence, 13388 Marseille Cedex 13 (France)
  • 3. Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, Blindern, N-0315 Oslo (Norway)
  • 4. Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)
  • 5. Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen (Denmark)
  • 6. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria BC V8T 1M8 (Canada)
  • 7. Australian Astronomical Observatory, Epping, NSW 1710 (Australia)
  • 8. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn (Germany)
  • 9. The Oskar Klein Centre, Physics Department, Stockholm University, Albanova University Centre, SE 106-91 Stockholm (Sweden)
  • 10. CENTRA-Centro Multidisciplinar de Astrofísica, IST, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal)

Description

Our ability to study the most remote supernova explosions, crucial for the understanding of the evolution of the high-redshift universe and its expansion rate, is limited by the light collection capabilities of telescopes. However, nature offers unique opportunities to look beyond the range within reach of our unaided instruments thanks to the light-focusing power of massive galaxy clusters. Here we report on the discovery of one of the most distant supernovae ever found, at redshift z = 1.703. Due to a lensing magnification factor of 4.3 ± 0.3, we are able to measure a light curve of the supernova, as well as spectroscopic features of the host galaxy with a precision comparable to what would otherwise only be possible with future generation telescopes.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/742/1/L7

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1088/2041-8205/742/1/L7;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Journal Volume
742
Journal Issue
1
Journal Page Range
[4 p.]
ISSN
2041-8205

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
44006827
Subject category
S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
Descriptors DEI
ACCURACY; ASTROPHYSICS; DISTANCE; GALAXIES; GALAXY CLUSTERS; INFLATIONARY UNIVERSE; RED SHIFT; SUPERNOVAE; TELESCOPES; UNIVERSE; VISIBLE RADIATION
Descriptors DEC
BINARY STARS; COSMOLOGICAL MODELS; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; PHYSICS; RADIATIONS; STARS; VARIABLE STARS