Article

Ultraviolet Type Ia Supernova Mission: science motivation and mission concept

Keri HoadleyUniversity of Florida, Bryant Space Science Center, Department of Astronomy, Gainesville, Florida, United StatesCurtis McCullyLas Cumbres Observatory, Goleta, California, United StatesGillian KyneCalifornia Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, United StatesFernando Cruz AguirreUniversity of Florida, Bryant Space Science Center, Department of Astronomy, Gainesville, Florida, United StatesMoira AndrewsLas Cumbres Observatory, Goleta, California, United StatesChristophe BassetCalifornia Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, United StatesAzalee BostroemUniversity of Arizona, Steward Observatory, Tucson, Arizona, United StatesPeter J. BrownTexas A&M University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, College Station, Texas, United StatesGreyson DavisUniversity of Florida, Bryant Space Science Center, Department of Astronomy, Gainesville, Florida, United StatesErika HamdenUniversity of Arizona, Steward Observatory, Tucson, Arizona, United StatesDaniel HarbeckLas Cumbres Observatory, Goleta, California, United StatesJohn L. HennessyCalifornia Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, United StatesMichael E. HoenkCalifornia Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, United StatesGriffin HosseinzadehUniversity of California, San Diego, Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, La Jolla, California, United StatesAndrew HowellLas Cumbres Observatory, Goleta, California, United StatesApril D. JewellCalifornia Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, United StatesSaurabh W. JhaRutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Piscataway, New Jersey, United StatesJessica LiUniversity of Florida, Bryant Space Science Center, Department of Astronomy, Gainesville, Florida, United StatesPeter MilneUniversity of Arizona, Steward Observatory, Tucson, Arizona, United StatesLeonidas A. MoustakasCalifornia Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, United StatesShouleh NikzadCalifornia Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, United StatesC. PellegrinoGoddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, United StatesAbigail PolinPurdue University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Lafayette, Indiana, United StatesDavid SandUniversity of Arizona, Steward Observatory, Tucson, Arizona, United StatesKen J. ShenUniversity of California, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Astrophysics Center, Berkeley, California, United StatesLisa J. Storrie‐LombardiLas Cumbres Observatory, Goleta, California, United States

Journal of Astronomical Telescopes Instruments and Systemsjournal2025en

ABI

Abstract

The Ultraviolet Type Ia Supernova Mission (UVIa) is a CubeSat/SmallSat concept that stands to test critical space-borne ultraviolet (UV) technology for future missions such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory while elucidating long-standing questions about the explosion mechanisms of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). UVIa will observe whether any SNe Ia emit excess UV light shortly after explosion to test progenitor/explosion models and provide follow-up over many days to characterize their UV and optical flux variations over time, assembling a comprehensive multi-band UV and optical low-redshift anchor sample for upcoming high-redshift SNe Ia surveys (e.g., Euclid, Vera Rubin Observatory, and Nancy Roman Space Telescope). UVIa’s mission profile requires it to perform rapid and frequent visits to newly discovered SNe Ia, simultaneously observing each SNe Ia in two UV bands [far-ultraviolet (FUV): 1500 to 1800 Å; near-ultraviolet (NUV): 1800 to 2400 Å] and one optical band (u-band: 3000 to 4200 Å). We describe the UVIa mission concept science motivation and basic mission design. The UVIa mission concept has been submitted to the CubeSats category of the NASA ROSES Astrophysics Research and Analysis program ($10M cost cap) and NASA Astrophysics Pioneers program ($20M cost cap).

Topics

Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae Spacecraft and Cryogenic Technologies Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1117/1.jatis.11.4.042221

Citations and references

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