Our current understanding of cosmology is largely shaped by Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), the detonations of carbon-oxygen white dwarves (WDs). SNe Ia are powerful standard candles due to their uniform peak luminosities which decay predictably. SNe Ia progenitor system architecture is highly debated, as none have been observed pre- and post-detonation. Within the first few days after detonation, critical progenitor signatures are preserved in the ultraviolet (UV) bandpass. We present the optical design of UVIa, a proposed 12U CubeSat capable of simultaneous measurements in the far-UV, near-UV, and u-band. Double-offset Cassegrain telescopes were designed to image onto CMOS detectors. We discuss the benefits and challenges associated with double-offset telescopes. UVIa additionally serves as a technology demonstration platform for several cutting-edge UV technologies. The optical design of UVIa enables early-time observations of SNe Ia and serves as a pathfinder for future UV transient telescopes.
Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are a cornerstone of modern cosmology. Upcoming missions like the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope are pushing to high redshifts to measure cosmological parameters like the dark energy equation of state. Despite the impressive success of empirically standardizing their luminosities, the explosion mechanism of SNe Ia remains hotly debated; e.g., the mass of the white dwarf (WD) when it explodes and the state of the companion star (degenerate or non-degenerate) are all currently in question.
Early-time UV observations are sensitive to the outermost layers of the ejecta (and least affected by the explosion itself) and show the most diversity for SNe Ia. This makes the UV bandpass an excellent probe to solve these open questions about the nature of these cosmological distance indicators. To achieve this science, we present UVIa, a CubeSat that will be reactive and have simultaneous optical, Near-UV (NUV), and Far-UV (FUV) coverage, takes advantage of state-of-the-art UV coatings, UV-enhanced silicon detectors with whitelight rejection filter, and autonomous observing scheduling, updated regularly based on newly discovered SNe Ia from modern transient surveys.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.