Model atmospheres for type I supernovae

Abstract

The construction of a type I supernova atmosphere model, which requires the use of a detailed explosion model, is discussed. The supernova atmosphere is studied to evaluate the applicability of the Baade-Wesselink method for distance determination, stressing the procedures for developing models which accurately estimate temperatures, densities, and maximum light velocities. It is noted that the models are not useful for determining distance estimates by direct comparison with maximum light spectra.