The delay time distribution (DTD) of Type-Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) is the rate of SNe Ia, as a function of time, that explode in a hypothetical stellar population of unit mass formed in a brief burst at time t=0. It is important for understanding chemical evolution, SN Ia progenitors, and SN Ia physics. This python program uses a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) Bayesian method and the spectral-population synthesis code Pégase.3 to simultaneously fit the integrated galaxy-light photometry in several bands and the SN Ia numbers discovered in high-redshift clusters to constrain the DTD, allowing extended star formation histories. It has been used in the following article:
The delay time distribution of Type-Ia supernovae in galaxy clusters: the impact of extended star-formation histories [PDF] by Jonathan Freundlich & Dan Maoz
This article proposes revised fluxes and SN Ia numbers for the cluster sample at z=1.13-1.75 studied by Friedmann & Maoz (2018) and derives a prior on the DTD parameters from the lower-redshift measurements compiled by Maoz & Graur (2017), which are both fed to the MCMC algorithm. The star formation history of each cluster is described by four parameters, and the universal DTD by a two-parameter power-law.
The different steps of the calculations can be seen in DTD_MCMC.ipynb.