Abstract

Type Ia supernovae are known as the precise distance indicators that allowed the remarkable discovery of the accelerated expansion of the universe. Despite this astounding feat, there still remain large uncertainties in many of the key issues surrounding these extremely energetic events. These uncertainties, while not being horribly detrimental to their use as distance indicators, hamper the understanding of the far reaching consequences these cosmic factories of heavy elements have on the chemical evolution of the Universe.

Type Ia Supernovae can be divided into three distinct phases. The pre-supernova evolution, the explosion itself and the expansion phase, which results in spectra and light-curves. In this talk I will first presents our findings on the progenitor question (pre-supernova phase). In addition, I will discuss my work on automating spectral analysis and how it links with explosion physics and the progenitor question. Finally, I will briefly highlight Universities of Toronto’s involvement in arctic astronomy and introduce our transient search with the telescope CATS .