Rutgers University Astrophysics Colloquium

Observations of type Ia supernovae (SN Ia), a class of exploding stars, ushered in a cosmological revolution: the expansion of the Universe is accelerating, driven by dark energy. I will describe current cosmological applications of SN Ia to measure the expansion rate of the Universe and constrain the nature of dark energy. Despite the cosmological utility of SN Ia, we still lack a detailed understanding of their progenitor systems and explosion physics. I will show how our supernova group at Rutgers uses observatories like SALT, HST, and now, JWST, to improve both our physical understanding of these cosmic explosions and their cosmological utility. Finally, I will preview SN Ia cosmology in upcoming flagship projects like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.