Gravitationally lensed supernovae as cosmological probes
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When a supernova is positioned behind a massive lens galaxy or cluster, it can be gravitationally lensed to form multiple images. Such an event is a very rare and promising probe to obtain measurements of the Hubble constant through gravitational time delays. Currently, the lensed supernova field is at a turning point, as we will go from a handful of present discoveries to several hundred per year with the advance of the next generation of telescopes. In this seminar, I will outline the prospects and challenges of using strongly lensed supernovae as cosmological probes. I will start with the discovery story of how our team at Stockholm University recently found a lensed supernova with the Zwicky Transient Facility, dubbed “SN Zwicky”. Looking ahead, I will present the predicted lensed supernova rate with the upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory and highlight efforts within the Rubin Science Collaborations to best employ them for cosmological inference.