supernovae: general

From Shock Breakout to Peak and Beyond: Extensive Panchromatic Observations of the Type Ib Supernova 2008D Associated with Swift X-ray Transient 080109

We present extensive early photometric (ultraviolet through near- infrared) and spectroscopic (optical and near-infrared) data on supernova (SN) 2008D as well as X-ray data analysis on the associated Swift X-ray transient (XRT) 080109. Our data span …

The Golden Standard Type Ia Supernova 2005cf: Observations from the Ultraviolet to the Near-Infrared Wavebands

We present extensive photometry at ultraviolet (UV), optical, and near- infrared (NIR) wavelengths, as well as dense sampling of optical spectra, for the normal Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2005cf. The optical photometry, performed at eight different …

Improved Standardization of Type II-P Supernovae: Application to an Expanded Sample

In the epoch of precise and accurate cosmology, cross-confirmation using a variety of cosmographic methods is paramount to circumvent systematic uncertainties. Owing to progenitor histories and explosion physics differing from those of Type Ia …

Observations of the Naked-Eye GRB 080319B: Implications of Nature's Brightest Explosion

The first gamma-ray burst (GRB) confirmed to be bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, GRB 080319B at redshift z = 0.937, allowed for exquisite follow-up observations across the electromagnetic spectrum. We present our detailed optical and …

The Exceptionally Luminous Type II-Linear Supernova 2008es

We report on our early photometric and spectroscopic observations of the extremely luminous Type II supernova (SN) 2008es. SN 2008es, with an observed peak optical magnitude of m$_V$ = 17.8 and at a redshift z = 0.213, has a peak absolute magnitude …

Type Ia Supernovae Are Good Standard Candles in the Near Infrared: Evidence from PAIRITEL

We have obtained 1087 NIR (JHK$_s$) measurements of 21 SNe Ia using PAIRITEL, nearly doubling the number of well-sampled NIR SN Ia light curves. These data strengthen the evidence that SNe Ia are excellent standard candles in the NIR, even without …