The Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS)

In summary, the SNLS survey at CFHT is a large imaging and spectroscopic survey that aims to detect and monitor about 2000 supernovae between 2003 and 2008. The survey includes detailed spectroscopy of a subsample of distant supernovae to validate their use as cosmological candles. This program has already yielded interesting information on SNLS-03D3bb and is seen as a valuable contribution to the study of high redshift supernovae. It is not in competition with the Supernova Cosmology Project, but rather complementary to it, and has already proven to be more efficient and robust in its design.
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http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/Science/CFHLS/MidTermReview/CFHTLS-SNLS-SACreview2005.pdf

http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/SNLS/

The SNLS survey consists of:

A large imaging survey at CFHT
The CFHT Legacy Survey aims at detecting and monitoring about 2000 supernovae with Megaprime at the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope between 2003 and 2008.​

A large spectroscopic survey
Hi-z spectroscopy of SNe is being carried on 8m class telescopes (Gemini, VLT, Keck). The primary goal is to obtain Supernova identification and redshift. Detailed spectroscopy of a subsample of distant SNe is also done to validate the use of Type Ia SNe as cosmological candles.​

This program yielded information on SNLS-03D3bb.
 
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A very interesting programme - the work that will be done to characterise, in considerably more detail, the distant type 1a SNe is just what's needed to constrain many possible systematics for these (i.e. just how 'standard' they are, as candles). This will be particularly welcome, given that computer-based simulations/models of these are still not good enough (for the full 'standard candle' use).
 
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Is this a high redshift project competing with the Supernova Cosmology Project? Or are they somehow complementary?
 
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hellfire said:
Is this a high redshift project competing with the Supernova Cosmology Project? Or are they somehow complementary?
http://snls.in2p3.fr/conf/posters/AAS207/PosterAAS207-Perrett.pdf from a member of the SNLS team (a poster at the 207th AAS meeting, in Jan this year) puts it rather nicely: "After just over 2 years of operation, the SNLS is already outperforming all previous ground-based high-z SN surveys." (though if you look more closely, you'll see much collaboration).

The design is different from earlier teams', and (one could argue) more robust, and more efficient (not to mention having a great deal more dark time available, on many different 8-10m class observatories!).
 

1. What is the purpose of the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS)?

The purpose of the SNLS is to study the properties and behavior of distant supernovae in order to better understand the expansion of the universe and the nature of dark energy.

2. How is the SNLS conducted?

The SNLS uses a variety of telescopes and instruments to observe and study distant supernovae. The survey focuses on a specific area of the sky and takes multiple images over a period of several years to track the brightness and changes of supernovae over time.

3. What makes the SNLS unique compared to other supernova surveys?

The SNLS is unique because it focuses on a specific area of the sky and takes multiple images over a long period of time, allowing for more precise measurements of the supernovae. It also uses advanced telescopes and instruments to gather high-quality data.

4. What have been some of the major findings from the SNLS?

The SNLS has provided evidence for the existence of dark energy and has helped to refine our understanding of its properties. It has also discovered numerous distant supernovae, providing valuable data for studying the expansion of the universe.

5. How does the SNLS contribute to our overall understanding of the universe?

The SNLS is an important tool for studying the expansion of the universe and the nature of dark energy. Its findings have helped to refine and support current theories and have provided valuable data for future research in these areas.

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