Improved constraints on type Ia supernova host galaxy properties using multi-wavelength photometry and their correlations with supernova properties

Gupta, Ravi R; D’Andrea, Chris B; Sako, Masao; Conroy, Charlie; Smith, Mathew; Bassett, Bruce; Frieman, Joshua A; Garnavich, Peter M; Jha, Saurabh W; Kessler, Richard; Lampeitl, Hubert; Marriner, John; Nichol, Robert C; Schneider, Donald P

Improved constraints on type Ia supernova host galaxy properties using multi-wavelength photometry and their correlations with supernova properties

Journal Article

2011

Journal Title

The Astrophysical Journal

Link to Journal

https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/740/2/92

Department

Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics

Faculty

Faculty of Science

Abstract

We improve estimates of the stellar mass and mass-weighted average age of Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) host galaxies by combining UV and near-IR photometry with optical photometry in our analysis. Using 206 SNe Ia drawn from the full three-year Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-II) Supernova Survey (median redshift of z 0.2) and multi-wavelength host-galaxy photometry from SDSS, the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope Infrared Deep Sky Survey, we present evidence of a correlation (1.9σ confidence level) between the residuals of SNe Ia about the best-fit Hubble relation and the mass-weighted average age of their host galaxies. The trend is such that older galaxies host SNe Ia that are brighter than average after standard light-curve corrections are made. We also confirm, at the 3.0σ level, the trend seen by previous studies that more massive galaxies often host brighter SNe Ia after light-curve correction.