The Absolute Luminosities of the Calan/Tololo Type IA Supernovae
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abstract
We examine the absolute luminosities of 29 SNe Ia in the Caln/Tololo survey. We confirm a relation between the peak luminosity of the SNe and the decline rate as measured by the light curve, as suggested by Phillips [ApJ, 413, L105 (1993)]. We derive linear slopes to this magnitude-decline rate relation in BV(I)KC colors, using a sample with BMAX - VMAX < 0.2m. The scatter around this linear relation (and thus the ability to measure SNe Ia distances) ranges from 0.13m (in the I band) to 0.17m (in the B band). We also find evidence for significant correlations between the absolute magnitudes or the decline rate of the light curve, and the morphological type of the host galaxy. 1996 American Astronomical Society.