Determining the motion of the local group using type IA supernovae light curve shapes

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (102) References (20) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Determining the Motion of the Local Group Using Type IA Supernova Light Curve Shapes Riess, Adam G. ; Press, William H. ; Kirshner, Robert P. Abstract We have measured our Galaxy's motion relative to distant galaxies in which Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) have been observed. The effective recession velocity of this sample is 7000 km s^-1^, which approaches the depth of the survey of brightest cluster galaxies by Lauer & Postman (1994). We use the light curve shape (LCS) method for deriving distances to SNe Ia, providing relative distance estimates to individual supernovae with a precision of ~5% (Riess, Press, & Kirshner 1995). Analyzing the distribution on the sky of velocity residuals from a pure Hubble flow for 13 recent SNe Ia drawn primarily from the Calan/Tololo survey (Hamuy 1993a, 1994, 1995a, b; Maza et al. 1994), we find the best solution for the motion of the Local Group in this frame is 600 +/- 350 km s ^-^ in the direction l = 260^deg^, b = +54^deg^, with a 1 σ error ellipse that measures 90^deg^ x 25^deg^. This solution is consistent with the rest frame of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) as determined by the COBE measurement of the dipole temperature anisotropy, and also with many plausible bulk flows expected to accompany observed density variations. It is inconsistent with the velocity observed by Lauer & Postman. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: June 1995 DOI: 10.1086/187897 arXiv: arXiv:astro-ph/9412017 Bibcode: 1995ApJ...445L..91R Keywords: Galactic Evolution; Galactic Structure; Light Curve; Local Group (Astronomy); Radio Sources (Astronomy); Recession; Stellar Motions; Supernovae; Velocity Distribution; Carbon; Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite; Emission Spectra; H Beta Line; Astronomy; COSMOLOGY: LARGE-SCALE STRUCTURE OF UNIVERSE; COSMOLOGY: OBSERVATIONS; GALAXIES: LOCAL GROUP; STARS: SUPERNOVAE: GENERAL; Astrophysics E-Print: 12 pp + 2 figs, posted as uuencoded tar.Z file which will uudecode-uncompress-untar to LaTeX file (uses aas macros) and two postscript figure files. Files (including postscript version of text) also available by anon ftp to cfata4.harvard.edu as pub/localgroup* full text sources arXiv | ADS | data products NED (26) SIMBAD (14)