SOUSA: the Swift Optical/Ultraviolet Supernova Archive

TL;DR

The paper introduces SOUSA, a comprehensive archive of supernova images and photometry from Swift's UV/optical observations, aiding supernova classification and future observational planning.

Contribution

It presents the Swift Optical/Ultraviolet Supernova Archive (SOUSA), detailing data collection, reduction procedures, and initial photometric data for supernova classification.

Findings

Photometry from well-observed supernovae across classes.

Absolute magnitudes and colors useful for type inference.

The archive supports future supernova research and observation planning.

Abstract

The Ultra-Violet Optical Telescope on the Swift spacecraft has observed hundreds of supernovae, covering all major types and most subtypes. Here we introduce the Swift Optical/Ultraviolet Supernova Archive (SOUSA), which will contain all of the supernova images and photometry. We describe the observation and reduction procedures and how they impact the final data. We show photometry from well-observed examples of most supernova classes, whose absolute magnitudes and colors may be used to infer supernova types in the absence of a spectrum. A full understanding of the variety within classes and a robust photometric separation of the groups requires a larger sample, which will be provided by the final archive. The data from the existing Swift supernovae are also useful for planning future observations with Swift as well as future UV observatories.