2013/08/31 by Anthony L. Piro, Todd A. Thompson, C. S. Kochanek +1 · 3 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics #Chandrasekhar limit #Degenerate energy levels #Detonation #Explosive material #Galaxy #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Luminosity #Physics #Stars #Supernova #Type (biology) #White dwarf #astro-ph.HE #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/mnras/stt2451
8 pages, 5 figures, submitted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. Revised manuscript includes an updated 56Ni distribution, a new emphasis on subluminous 1991bg-like SNe Ia, and a different approach to binary population models. Updated acknowledgements
arxiv created 2013/09/06 · openalex publication_date 2014/01/14 · arxiv updated 2015/06/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We combine the observed distribution of Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 56Ni yields with the results of sub-Chandrasekhar detonation and direct collision calculations to estimate what mass white dwarfs (WDs) should be exploding for each scenario. For collisions, the average exploding WD mass must be peaked at ≈0.75 M⊙, significantly higher than the average field WD mass of ≈0.55–0.60 M⊙. Thus, if collisions produce most SNe Ia, then a mechanism must exist that favours higher mass WDs. On the other hand, in old stellar populations, collisions would naturally result in low-luminosity SNe Ia, and we suggest these may be related to 1991bg-like events. For sub-Chandrasekhar detonations, the average exploding WD mass must be peaked at ≈1.1 M⊙. This is similar to the average total mass in WD–WD binaries, but it is not clear whether double degenerate mergers would synthesize sufficient 56Ni to match observed yields. If not, then actual ≈1.1 M⊙ WDs would be needed for sub-Chandrasekhar detonations. Since such high-mass WDs are produced relatively quickly in comparison to the age of SN Ia environments, this would require either accretion on to lower mass WDs prior to ignition or a long time-scale between formation of the ≈1.1 M⊙ WD and ignition.