Benjamin Dean Lecture: The Supernova of a Generation: SN 2011fe

When some stars die they produce remarkably bright "supernova" fireworks. Supernovae, the main source of the iron in our bodies, have had a profound impact on science for centuries. More recently, some types of explosions-called "Ia" supernovae-were used to make precise measurements of distance that revealed the mysterious acceleration of the universe. Despite their importance, however, scientists still do not know what sort of star (or stars) lead to such supernovae nor do they understand in detail the mechanisms responsible for such explosions. Well-studied nearby supernovae, which could shed light on these deep mysteries, are uncommon. This past year,  a rare Type Ia supernova dubbed SN2011fe was discovered in the Pinwheel Galaxy. Dr. Bloom, one of the researchers who facilitated the discovery and subsequent observations, will discuss some of the breakthrough results from SN 2011fe in the context of supernova science as well as some of the broader implications of the discovery.

Speaker: Joshua Bloom, UC Berkeley