2005/06/30 by Maximilian Stritzinger, M. Stritzinger, B. Leibundgut +5 · 149 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Bolometer #Chandrasekhar limit #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Light curve #Nuclear physics research studies #Range (aeronautics) #Supernova #Type (biology) #White dwarf #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20053652
published in Astronomy and Astrophysics 450(1), 241-251 (EDP Sciences) · 8 pages, 1 table, 7 figures, accepted to A&A, addressed referee's comments, updated 2 figures
arxiv created 2005/12/05 · openalex publication_date 2006/04/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Bolometric light curves provide a valuable insight into the nature of type Ia supernovae. We present an analysis of sixteen well-observed type Ia supernovae. Constraints are placed on several global parameters concerning the progenitor system, explosion mechanism, and subsequent radiation transport. By fitting a radioactive decay energy deposition function to the quasi-exponential phase (50 to 100 days after maximum light), it is found that the ejected mass varies by at least a factor of two. This result suggests that a sub Chandrasekhar mass white dwarf could be the progenitor system of some type Ia supernovae. We find that the range in the amount of synthesized indicates a significant variation in the burning mechanism. In order to explain a factor of ten range in the observed bolometric luminosity, more detailed modeling of the explosion mechanism is required.