NO SWEAT:
Neutrino-Oriented Supernova Whole-EArth Telescope






SDSS image of M101, 13.5' x 13.5'
Click here to see a high-resolution version from HST




The NO SWEAT collaboration aims to monitor the 12 nearest large galaxies nightly from locations around the globe in order to determine as accurately as possible the explosion date of the next few nearest supernovae (SNe). Precise timing of SN explosions is crucial for attempts to detect neutrinos from such nearby events. Coincidence background-rejection is the only (slim) chance for neutrino detection with Super Kamiokande from SNe in the nearest galaxies outside of the local group, and will be very valuable for the next generation neutrino telescopes. Explosion timing will also be valuable for searches of Gravitational waves from nearby SNe, which may also be detectable by advanced LIGO or even by current instruments (LIGO) . Even if neutrino detection eludes us till the construction of the next generation neutrino experiments is complete, the data gathered by NO SWEAT will enable, for the first time since SN 1987A, to study the light curves of SNe during the first day after their explosion, allowing future early observations of SNe to be used for accurate timing of the SN explosion.



NO SWEAT and the HST Legacy Program: The study of the nearest SN explosion in modern times, SN 1987A in the LMC, is responsible for the greatest advances in our understanding of SN physics (and also for many exciting results in other areas of physics and astronomy). The reason that this single event proved to be so useful can be traced down to the combination of three observational ingredients which were available for SN 1987A, and were not available for any other SN before (or after) that event. These include: (1) the detection of a neutrino burst from this SN. (2) The construction of the optical light curve of the SN during the first hours after its explosion from observations in Chile, Australia and New Zealand, and (3) the fact the the progenitor star of this SN was identified and studied before its explosion. More detail is available in this review.

The focus of the NO SWEAT project is to attempt to secure early light curves of the next several nearest SNe from observatories world-wide. As mentioned above, such early light curves will enhance the probability that neutrinos are detected from these nearby events by planned (and perhaps also existing) neutrino experiments. Thus, our project works to make sure that the first two observational ingredients that made SN 1987A so valuable will exist for a several other nearby SNe in the (relatively) near future. In order to secure the third ingredient (a known progenitor) we also promote a legacy program to obtain complete coverage of the NO SWEAT galaxy sample (see below) with the advanced camera for surveys (ACS) on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in cycle 15. The combination of the NO SWEAT network and such HST data should provide us with several additional SNe with similar discovery potential as that of SN 1987A during the coming two decades.



Tier 1 Targets: Luminous (L_B>10^10) nearby (D< 10 Mpc) star-forming galaxies.


Target Galaxies
Galaxy Velocity
(km/s)
Distance
(Mpc)
Blue
Magnitude
m-M Luminosity
(10^10 Solar, B)
Coordinates
(J2000)
Recent SNe Comments
M51 600 8.4 8.6 29.62 1.94 13 29 55.7 +47 13 53 SNe 1994I, 2005cs =NGC 5194
M64 408 7.5 8.82 29.38 1.27 12 56 43.7 +21 40 52 - =NGC 4826, Early type (Sab)
M81 -34 3.55 7.39 27.75 1.06 09 55 33.2 +69 03 55 SN 1993J =NGC 3031
M82 203 3.9 8.86 27.96 0.33 09 55 52.2 +69 40 47 SN 1986D, SN 2004am =NGC 3034
M83 513 4.5 7.98 28.27 0.99 13 37 00.9 -29 51 57 SNe 1923A, 1945B, 1950B, 1957D, 1968L, 1983N =NGC 5236
M101 241 6.7 8.21 29.13 1.77 14 03 12.6 +54 20 57 SNe 1909A, 1951H, 1970G =NGC 5457
M106 448 7.73 8.53 29.44 1.76 12 18 57.5 +47 18 14 SN 1981K =NGC 4258
NGC 253 243 3.34 7.09 27.62 1.23 00 47 33.1 -25 17 18 SN 1940E  
NGC 4945 563 3.36 7.43 27.84 1.11 13 05 27.5 -49 28 06 SN 2005af  
NGC 5128 547 3.5 7.3 27.72 1.12 13 25 27.6 -43 01 09 SN 1986G Early type (S0)
NGC 6946 48 5.5 7.78 28.72 1.77 20 34 52.3 +60 09 14 SNe 1917A, 1939C, 1948B, 1968D, 1969P, 1980K, 2002hh, 2004et  
IC 342 31 3.28 5.58 26.51 1.78 03 46 49.1 +68 05 47 -  

This sample was selected from galaxies with v<1000 km/s, BT0 < 9 mag (from the RC3 catalog, via NED), from which we rejected low-luminosity galaxies and M31, which is so nearby (and therefore so large) that it cannot be monitored with most CCD cameras.

Tier 2 Targets: Other nearby galaxies (less luminous)


Target Galaxies
Galaxy Velocity
(km/s)
Distance
(Mpc)
Blue
Magnitude
m-M Luminosity
(10^10 Solar, B)
Coordinates
(J2000)
Recent SNe Comments
M74 657 9.3 9.76 29.84 0.82 01 36 41.8 +15 47 00 SN 2002ap, SN 2003gd  
M94 308 5.2 8.75 28.58 0.69 12 50 53.0 +41 07 14 -  
NGC 247 156 2.8 8.93 27.24 0.16 00 47 08.6 -20 45 38 -  
NGC 300 144 2.0 8.49 26.51 0.12 00 54 53.5 -37 40 59 -  
NGC 2403 131 3.13 8.43 27.48 0.32 07 36 51.4 +65 36 09 SNe 1954J, 2002kg, 2004dj  



Team:

Avishay Gal-Yam (Caltech, PI)
Eran Ofek (Caltech/Palomar)
R. Quimby, P. Hoeflich, C. Wheeler (UT Austin/ROTSE)
A. Filippenko, W. Li (UC Berkeley/KAIT)
D. Maoz (TAU/Wise)
J. Bloom (UC Berkeley, PAIRITEL)
J. Beacom (Ohio State)
B. P. Schmidt (ANU, projected)




Constructed: December 2005, by: Avishay Gal-Yam , E-Mail: avishay@astro.caltech.edu and Keren Sharon , E-Mail: kerens@wise.tau.ac.il