A recent breakthrough for the cosmic magnifying glass has been discovered in galactic exploration

Researchers led by Professor Ariel Jobar at Stockholm University’s Oskar Klein Center have discovered an unusual type of supernova they have named SN Zwicky. Type Ia supernovae have a crucial role in measuring cosmic distances. They were used to discover the accelerating expansion of the universe, which led to a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2011. The newly discovered supernova stands out for its exceptional brightness and the splitting of light rays into multiple images, a rare phenomenon predicted in Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

Within weeks of the discovery of the trans supernova Zwicky Transit Facility At the Palomar Observatory in California, researchers also observed SN Zwicky with optical instruments at the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii and the Very Large Telescopes in Chile. Observations from the Keck Observatory were able to detect the multiple images, confirming the lensing hypothesis behind the supernova’s unusual brightness. The four images were also observed by SN Zwicky using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.

Astronomical objects are like cosmic magnifying lenses

The noticeable effect that creates multiple images of the same source is caused by the gravitational field of a foreground galaxy acting as a gravitational lens. Under unusual circumstances, large astronomical objects act as cosmic magnifying glasses. These magnifiers also create multiple paths of light that can be seen at different points in the sky. Observing multiple images not only reveals details of the lenticular supernova, but also provides a unique opportunity to explore the properties of the foreground galaxy that cause light diffraction. The discovery allows astronomers to learn more about the innermost, densest parts of galaxies, where dark matter resides. Lensing supernovae are also a tool with great potential for improving models describing the expansion of the universe.

New opportunities to investigate the phenomenon of gravitational lensing

SN Zwickys’ discovery means new opportunities to investigate the phenomenon of gravitational lensing. This is an important step in being able to explain dark matter, dark energy, and what will happen to our universe.

“The extreme magnification that SN Zwicky creates offers an unprecedented opportunity to study the properties of distant explosions from Type Ia supernovae, which we use to explore the nature of dark energy,” says Joel Johansson, co-author of the study and a researcher at Stockholm University.

– SN Zwicky’s discovery not only shows the remarkable possibilities offered by current astronomical instruments, but it also represents a major advance in the work on understanding the fundamental forces that shape the universe, says Ariel Gubar, research project lead and director. From the Oscar Klein Center at Stockholm University.

Video of Zwicky’s supernova explained in watercolor on the Oscar Klein Center YouTube channel.

Article in Nature Astronomy: “Revealing a group of gravitational lensing galaxies using SN Zwicky’s Standard Magnifying Candle”

Researchers at the Oskar Klein Center and Stockholm University’s Fysikum who led the study that discovered SN Zwicky. From left, Edward Mortsel, Steve Schulz, Joel Johansson, Ana Sagos Caracedo, Ariel Jobar and Nikki Arendsi.

The Stockholm University researchers who conducted the study are Edvard Mortsel, Steve Schulz, Joel Johansson, Ana Sagos Caracedo, Ariel Jobar, Niki Arendsi and Remi Joseph in Physics and Jesper Solermann in the Department of Astronomy.

Last updated: June 14, 2023

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