The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is systematically charting the optical transient and variable sky. A primary science driver of PTF is building a complete inventory of transients in the local universe (distance less than 200 Mpc). Here, we report …
We present observations and interpretation of the Type IIn supernova SN 2008am discovered by the ROTSE Supernova Verification Project (RSVP). SN 2008am peaked at approximately -22.3 mag at a redshift of z = 0.2338, giving it a peak luminosity of …
We present the first results of an ongoing campaign using the STIS spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), whose primary goal is the study of near-ultraviolet (UV) spectra of local Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). Using events identified …
Type-IIn supernovae (SNe IIn), which are characterized by strong interaction of their ejecta with the surrounding circumstellar matter (CSM), provide a unique opportunity to study the mass- loss history of massive stars shortly before their explosive …
We present the discovery, photometric, and spectroscopic follow-up observations of SN 2010X (PTF 10bhp). This supernova decays exponentially with τ$_ d $ = 5 days and rivals the current recordholder in speed, SN 2002bj. SN 2010X peaks at M $_ r $ = …
We use the first compilation of 72 core-collapse supernovae (SNe) from the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) to study their observed subtype distribution in dwarf galaxies compared to giant galaxies. Our sample is the largest single-survey, untargeted, …
Supernova (SN) 2006gy was a hydrogen-rich core-collapse SN that remains one of the most luminous optical SNe ever observed. The total energy budget (>2 × 10$^51$ erg radiated in the optical alone) poses many challenges for standard SN theory. We …
We present spectroscopic and photometric observations of the Type IIn supernova (SN) 2008iy. SN 2008iy showed an unprecedentedly long rise time of åisebox-0.5ex 400 d, making it the first known SN to take significantly longer than 100 d to reach peak …
We present early-time photometric and spectroscopic observations of supernova (SN) 2009kr in NGC 1832. We find that its properties to date support its classification as Type II-linear (SN II-L), a relatively rare subclass of core-collapse supernovae …
We present progenitor-star detections, light curves, and optical spectra of supernova (SN) 2009ip and the 2009 optical transient in UGC 2773 (U2773-OT), which were not genuine SNe. Precursor variability in the decade before outburst indicates that …