Methods

Spectrophotometric data are flux-calibrated spectra such that synthetic photometry may be derived from them via straightforward integration, without the need for additional corrections. This chapter describes the methods used to extract photometric and spectral information from the Nearby Supernova Factory (SNfactory) spectrophotometric dataset, described in Sect. 2.1 . First, the mathematics behind synthetic photometry and associated error propagation are discussed, followed by a similar discussion for light curve fitting. The crux of this section, as well as this dissertation, is the color-magnitude intercept calibration (CMAGIC) technique, and the newly-introduced analysis methods associated with it. The bump feature, \(\omega _{XY}\) , as well as the color-width, \(\Delta _{X-Y}\) , are defined. Spectral analysis methods are then discussed, including calculation of pseudo-equivalent widths, line velocity, and line flux ratios. Because these quantities can be used for Type Ia Supernova (SN Ia) standardization, the relevant standard, CMAGIC, and flux ratio cosmological models are discussed.