2004/05/08 by T. Plewa, Tomasz Plewa, A. C. Calder +3 · 269 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics #Deflagration #Detonation #Ejecta #Explosive material #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Nuclear physics #Pair-instability supernova #Physics #Plasma #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Stars #Supernova #Thermonuclear fusion #White dwarf #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/424036
published in The Astrophysical Journal 612(1), L37-L40 (IOP Publishing) · 4 pages, 6 figures at reduced resolution, submitted to ApJ Letters
arxiv created 2004/05/08 · openalex publication_date 2004/08/05 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We present a new mechanism for Type Ia supernova explosions in massive white dwarfs. The scenario follows from relaxing assumptions of symmetry and involves a detonation born near the stellar surface. The explosion begins with an essentially central ignition of a deflagration that results in the formation of a buoyancy-driven bubble of hot material that reaches the stellar surface at supersonic speeds. The bubble breakout laterally accelerates fuel-rich outer stellar layers. This material, confined by gravity to the white dwarf, races along the stellar surface and is focused at the location opposite to the point of the bubble breakout. These streams of nuclear fuel carry enough mass and energy to trigger a detonation just above the stellar surface that will incinerate the white dwarf and result in an energetic explosion. The stellar expansion following the deflagration redistributes mass in a way that ensures production of intermediate-mass and iron group elements with ejecta having a strongly layered structure and a mild amount of asymmetry following from the early deflagration phase. This asymmetry, combined with the amount of stellar expansion determined by details of the evolution (principally the energetics of deflagration, timing of detonation, and structure of the progenitor), can be expected to create a family of mildly diverse Type Ia supernova explosions.