- March 17, 2017, 4:00 pm US/Central
- Dan Scolnic, University of Chicago
Type Ia Supernovae continue to prove to be an incredibly useful tool to measure cosmic distances. They are a critical pillar in the measurement of the local value of the Hubble constant, which has now been shown to be in over 3-sigma tension with the inferred value of the Hubble constant from measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background. They are also a critical pillar in measurements of dark energy: numerous surveys, including Pan-STARRS, The Dark Energy Survey, LSST and WFIRST are positioning themselves to make the most accurate measurements of dark energy and any potential evolution of the equation-of-state parameter. I will discuss recent progress on both of these fronts and show how new data and new methods of standardization and calibration are yielding insights into the physics of Type Ia Supernovae and improved understanding of systematic uncertainties. I will talk about what to expect in upcoming years about the exciting tension in cosmology, and what new physics could be on the horizon.