The Mean Type Ia Supernova Spectrum over the past Nine Gigayears

We examine the possibility of evolution with redshift in the mean rest-frame ultraviolet (UV; λ 4500 Å) spectrum of Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) sampling the redshift range 0 < z < 1.3. We find new evidence for a decrease with redshift in the strength of intermediate-mass element (IME) features, particularly Si ii and to a lesser extent Ca ii “H&K” and Mg ii blends, indicating lower IME abundances in the higher redshift SNe. A larger fraction of luminous, wider light-curve width (higher “stretch”) SNe Ia are expected at higher redshift than locally, so we compare our observed spectral evolution with that predicted by a redshift-evolving stretch distribution coupled with a stretch-dependent SN Ia spectrum. We show that the sense of the spectral evolution can be reproduced by this simple model, though the highest redshift events seem additionally deficient in Si and Ca. We also examine the mean SN Ia UV–optical colors as a function of redshift, thought to be sensitive to variations in progenitor composition. We find that the expected stretch variations are sufficient to explain the differences, although improved data at z ∼ 0 will enable more precise tests. Thus, to the extent possible with the available data sets, our results support the continued use of SNe Ia as standardized candles.