The ANU WiFeS SuperNovA Program (AWSNAP)

TL;DR

This paper details the first major data release from the AWSNAP supernova spectroscopy survey, providing a large dataset of spectra, analysis of Type Ia supernova features, and insights into specific supernovae and host galaxy properties.

Contribution

It introduces the AWSNAP data release, including 357 spectra of supernovae, and presents detailed analysis of Type Ia supernova spectra and host galaxy characteristics.

Findings

Released 357 spectra of 175 supernovae publicly.

Analyzed narrow sodium absorption features in Type Ia supernovae.

Confirmed super-Chandrasekhar status of SN 2012dn and measured host metallicity.

Abstract

This paper presents the first major data release and survey description for the ANU WiFeS SuperNovA Program (AWSNAP). AWSNAP is an ongoing supernova spectroscopy campaign utilising the Wide Field Spectrograph (WiFeS) on the Australian National University (ANU) 2.3m telescope. The first and primary data release of this program (AWSNAP-DR1) releases 357 spectra of 175 unique objects collected over 82 equivalent full nights of observing from July 2012 to August 2015. These spectra have been made publicly available via the WISeREP supernova spectroscopy repository. We analyse the AWSNAP sample of Type Ia supernova spectra, including measurements of narrow sodium absorption features afforded by the high spectral resolution of the WiFeS instrument. In some cases we were able to use the integral-field nature of the WiFeS instrument to measure the rotation velocity of the SN host galaxy near the SN location in order to obtain precision sodium absorption velocities. We also present an extensive time series of SN 2012dn, including a near-nebular spectrum which both confirms its "super-Chandrasekhar" status and enables measurement of the sub-solar host metallicity at the SN site.