The supernova rate: a critical ingredient and an important tool

TL;DR

This review discusses the significance of supernova rates in astrophysics, highlighting their role in understanding stellar populations and supernova explosions, while also addressing ongoing uncertainties, especially regarding Type Ia supernovae.

Contribution

It synthesizes observational and theoretical insights on supernova rates, emphasizing their importance as both a key ingredient and a diagnostic tool in astrophysics.

Findings

Supernova rates are linked to parent stellar populations.

Advances have improved understanding of supernova explosions.

Uncertainties remain, notably for Type Ia supernovae.

Abstract

In this review I summarize the role of supernova rate as a critical ingredient of modern astrophysics, and as an important tool to understand SN explosions. Many years of active observations and theoretical modeling have produced several important results. In particular, linking SN rates with parent stellar populations has proved to be an important strategy. Despite these advances, the situation is far from clear, in particular for the SNe Ia.