Supernovae and extragalactic astronomy with laser guide star adaptive optics

摘要

Using the latest generation of adaptive optics imaging systems together withlaser guide stars on 8m-class telescopes, we are finally revealing thepreviously-hidden population of supernovae in starburst galaxies. Finding thesesupernovae and measuring the amount of absorption due to dust is crucial tobeing able to accurately trace the star formation history of our Universe. Ourimages of the host galaxies are amongst the sharpest ever obtained from theground, and reveal much about how and why these galaxies are forming massivestars (that become supernovae) at such a prodigious rate.