Nobel Prize in Physics 2011

Saul PerlmutterSupernova Cosmology ProjectBerkeley, USA

Brian P. SchmidtHigh-z Supernova Search TeamWeston Creek, Australia

Adam G. RiessHigh-z Supernova Search TeamBaltimore, USA

“for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae”

David Blaschke, IFT Seminar, Wroclaw University, 9.12.2011

SN 1006 :Remnant of Supernova Type Ia

Cosmic Dynamics

Standard Candles ...

Cepheids (... 29 Mpc)(period - luminosity)

Tully-Fisher relation (... 50 Mpc)(galaxy rotation - luminosity)

Supernovae Ia ( > 1000 Mpc)(unique lightcurve peak luminosity)

The Cosmic Distance Ladder

1 Mpc = 3.26 million ly = 3.085 1022 m

Luminosity distance dL:

(L – absolute; l - apparent)

The Strategy

Supernovae Typ Iaas standard candles

The picture of a galaxy

Supernova 1995ar (red arrow) shines as bright as a galaxy

White dwarf star accretes mass from a companion star ...

At 1.4 M_solar the white dwarf explodes in a supernova type Ia

Type Ia ? The lightcurve decides!

The same galaxy, three weeks later.

Supernovae Typ Iaas standard candles

The picture of a galaxy

Supernova 1995ar (red arrow) shines as bright as a galaxy

The same galaxy, three weeks later.

Analysis Method

“Supernova on Demand”- sample thousands of Galaxies during new moon- observe same patches 3 weekslater: find dozens of SNe- for close-to-peak brightnessSNe start follow-up observationsOn world's largest

telescopes

The Result: 27 % Matter (4% Atoms, 23% Dark), 73% Vacuum (Dark) Energy

Independent Confirmation: Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Fluctuations

Independent Confirmation: Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Fluctuations

Independent Confirmation: Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Fluctuations

Summary of Results