Description
Over the next decade, large survey telescopes, such as the Large Synoptic Space Telescope (LSST), are expected to yield hundreds to thousands of detections of gravitationally lensed supernovae, offering unprecedented advances in the study of these phenomena. Of particular note is the expected prevalence of Type IIn supernovae, which, with over 200 detections expected per year, dominate the predicted detection rates amongst lensed transients in previous studies. This is despite making up only 5-10% of observed non-lensed core-collapse supernovae.
In this talk, I will challenge this exciting result by modelling the effects of ultraviolet suppression - a deficit in the UV flux relative to the blackbody continuum - in the spectra of Type IIn supernovae to investigate how this affects the detection rates. I will describe the exciting physics of Type IIn supernovae and illustrate how they unlock some key insights into stellar environments and the terminal stages of the lives of giant stars. I will explain why they seem to be the ideal candidate for gravitationally lensed supernova detections with LSST, and therefore why they dominate over other supernova types in detection rate studies. Then, I will challenge this assertion by outlining the cause and effects of ultraviolet suppression, and whether it has a significant impact on the LSST detection rates of Type IIn supernovae, and their prospects as astrophysical and/or cosmological probes.
