GeminiFocus July 2013 | Page 11

Nancy A. Levenson Science Highlights The second quarter of 2013 delivered a number of significant papers based on Gemini data. These include the three summarized here which feature supernovae progenitor stars, stellar disks, and major results from the NICI Planet-Finding Campaign. For an up-to-date list of scientific papers based on Gemini data, see: http://gemininewpublications.blogspot.com/ Figure 1. Mass, Metallicity, and History of Supernova Progenitors What are the progenitors of various types of supernovae? Spectral signatures and lightcurve shapes characterize supernovae, and their range reveals the variety of progenitor stars that may produce these events. Differences in progenitor mass, metal abundance, or multiplicity are all possible origins of supernova diversity. In recent work, Hanindy