This research program will address the problem of calibrating the high redshift supernovae that are being used as probes of the acceleration of the Universe, and will also investigate dark energy, by constructing a large low redshift sample of Type Ia supernovae (SNe). Many ground- and space-based projects are now underway or planned that propose to use SNe Ia to measure the expansion history of the Universe. The success of these experiments ultimately depends on comparison with a well-observed local sample, which this project provides. The Carnegie Supernova Program (CSP) was begun in 2004 with a goal of 200 nearby SNe Ia and II. The CSP has guaranteed access to telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, including about 280 nights per year on the Swope 1 m, duPont 2.5 m, and Magellan 6.5 m telescopes with high-performance CCD and near-infrared (NIR) cameras, and CCD spectrographs. The resulting dataset, which will be put into the public domain via the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED), will allow for improved extinction corrections and the study of possible evolutionary effects for SNe Ia.
By its nature, the CSP provides a powerful learning and training opportunity for young scientists, and requires international collaboration. Undergraduate students from the California State University and University of Chile systems have been involved with the project since its inception.
