Detection of the Gravitational Lens Magnifying a Type Ia Supernova

QUIMBY; OGURI; MORE; MORE; MORIYA; WERNER ; TANAKA; FOLATELLI; BERSTEN; MAEDA

SCIENCE

AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE

Año: 2014

0036-8075

Objects of known brightness, like type Ia supernovae (SNIa), can be used to measure distances. If a massive object warps spacetime to form multiple images of a background SNIa, a direct test of cosmic expansion is also possible. However, these lensing events must first be distinguished from other rare phenomena. Recently, a supernova was found to shine much brighter than normal for its distance, which resulted in a debate: Was it a new type of superluminous supernova or a normal SNIa magnified by a hidden gravitational lens? Here, we report that a spectrum obtained after the supernova faded away shows the presence of a foreground galaxy—the first found to strongly magnify a SNIa. We discuss how more lensed SNIa can be found than previously predicted.