2010/04/07 by R. Di Stefano, Rosanne Di Stefano · 62 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Chandrasekhar limit #Earth Systems and Cosmic Evolution #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Phase (matter) #Progenitor #Progenitor cell #Supernova #Type (biology) #White dwarf #astro-ph.CO #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0004-637x/719/1/474
published in The Astrophysical Journal 719(1), 474-482 (IOP Publishing) · 24 pages; 5 figures; submitted to ApJ
arxiv created 2010/04/07 · openalex publication_date 2010/07/21 · arxiv updated 2015/05/18 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
In order for a white dwarf (WD) to achieve the Chandrasekhar mass, M C , and explode as a Type Ia supernova (SNIa), it must interact with another star, either accreting matter from or merging with it. The failure to identify the class or classes of binaries which produce SNeIa is the long-standing "progenitor problem." Its solution is required if we are to utilize the full potential of SNeIa to elucidate basic cosmological and physical principles. In single-degenerate models, a WD accretes and burns matter at high rates. Nuclear-burning white dwarfs (NBWDs) with mass close to M C are hot and luminous, potentially detectable as supersoft X-ray sources (SSSs). In previous work, we showed that >90%–99% of the required number of progenitors do not appear as SSSs during most of the crucial phase of mass increase. The obvious implication might be that double-degenerate binaries form the main class of progenitors. We show in this paper, however, that many binaries that later become double degenerates must pass through a long-lived NBWD phase during which they are potentially detectable as SSSs. The paucity of SSSs is therefore not a strong argument in favor of double-degenerate models. Those NBWDs that are the progenitors of double-degenerate binaries are likely to appear as symbiotic binaries for intervals >10 6 years. In fact, symbiotic pre-double-degenerates should be common, whether or not the WDs eventually produce SNeIa. The key to solving the Type Ia progenitor problem lies in understanding the appearance of NBWDs. Most of them do not appear as SSSs most of the time. We therefore consider the evolution of NBWDs to address the question of what their appearance may be and how we can hope to detect them.