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Science 12 January 2007:
Vol. 315. no. 5809, p. 158
DOI: 10.1126/science.315.5809.158b
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This Week in Science

Type Ia supernovae are widely used "standard candles" for distance measurements. Wang et al. (p. 212, published online 30 November; see the Perspective by Leonard) have collected spectra in polarized light of 17 such supernovae to investigate the geometry of these explosions. More powerful detonations produced more spherical ejecta, and the outer ejecta layers are more inhomogeneous than inner ones. These findings constrain the physics of burning in the supernovae and tightens the luminosity relations of type Ia supernovae that are used for cosmological measurements.




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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)