Explosive Ideas about Massive Stars - from Observations to Modeling
Explosive Ideas about Massive Stars - from Observations to Modeling
10-13 August 2011 AlbaNova University Center
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Why you should not trust NaD absorption from low-resolution spectra to derive extinctions
 
Dust extinction is generally the least tractable systematic uncertainty in astronomy, 
and particularly in supernova science. Often in the past, studies have used the 
equivalent width of Na I D absorption measured from low-resolution spectra as proxies 
for extinction, based on tentative correlations that were drawn from limited data sets. 
We have recently shown, based on 443 low-resolution spectra of 172 Type Ia 
supernovae for which we have measured the dust extinction as well as the equivalent 
width of Na I D, that the two barely correlate. I will discuss the causes for this large 
scatter that effectively prevents one from inferring extinction using this method.
 
Id: 300
Place: AlbaNova University Center
Room: Oskar Klein
Starting date:
10-Aug-2011   17:55
Duration: 05'
Primary Authors: Dr. POZNANSKI, Dovi (UC Berkeley & LBL)
Presenters: Dr. POZNANSKI, Dovi
 
Included in session: Posters and refreshments