Search For Type Ia Supernova NUV-Optical Subclasses

TL;DR

This study investigates whether there are distinct ultraviolet brightness subclasses of Type Ia Supernovae by comparing simulated models with observational data from SDSS and SNLS, finding no strong evidence for subclasses in the data.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation-based approach to test for NUV subclasses of SNe Ia and applies it to large datasets, finding no clear subclass distinction.

Findings

SNLS data favors a single NUV class model

SDSS data cannot distinguish between models

No strong evidence for NUV subclasses in observed SNe Ia

Abstract

In response to a recently reported observation of evidence for two classes of Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) distinguished by their brightness in the rest-frame near ultraviolet (NUV), we search for the phenomenon in publicly available light-curve data. We use the SNANA supernova analysis package to simulate SN Ia-light curves in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Supernova Search (SDSS) and the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS) with a model of two distinct ultraviolet classes of SNe Ia and a conventional model with a single broad distribution of SN-Ia ultraviolet brightnesses. We compare simulated distributions of rest-frame colors with these two models to those observed in 158 SNe Ia in the SDSS and SNLS data. The SNLS sample of 99 SNe Ia is in clearly better agreement with a model with one class of SN Ia light curves and shows no evidence for distinct NUV sub-classes. The SDSS sample of 59 SNe Ia with poorer color resolution does not distinguish between the two models.