A SWIFT Response to Thermonuclear Explosions

We propose a new program utilizing Swift to obtain ultraviolet (UV) observations of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in the moments after they explode. Deciphering the progenitors of SNe Ia is hindered by the fact that they all have a nearly identical appearance around maximum light (the epoch when they are most easily observed). To answer lingering questions about the progenitor system (including, what is the nature of the binary companion and what is the mass of the exploding white dwarf), we will undertake an ambitious program to automatically identify young SNe and trigger Swift. UV ToO observations are uniquely poised to break observational degeneracies in the optical and advance our understanding of thermonuclear SNe.