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Title: Evidence for Sub-Chandrasekhar Mass Type Ia Supernovae from an Extensive Survey of Radiative Transfer Models

Abstract

There exists two classes of viable progenitors for normal Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia): systems in which a white dwarf explodes at the Chandrasekhar mass ($${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$$), and systems in which a white dwarf explodes below the Chandrasekhar mass (sub-$${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$$). It is not clear which of these channels is dominant; observations and light-curve modeling have provided evidence for both. In this work we use an extensive grid of 4500 time-dependent, multiwavelength radiation transport simulations to show that the sub-$${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$$ model can reproduce the entirety of the width–luminosity relation, while the $${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$$ model can only produce the brighter events $$(0.8\lt {\rm{\Delta }}{M}_{15}(B)\lt 1.55)$$, implying that fast-declining SNe Ia come from sub-$${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$$ explosions. We do not assume a particular theoretical paradigm for the progenitor or explosion mechanism, but instead construct parameterized models that vary the mass, kinetic energy, and compositional structure of the ejecta, thereby realizing a broad range of possible outcomes of white dwarf explosions. We provide fitting functions based on our large grid of detailed simulations that map observable properties of SNe Ia, such as peak brightness and light-curve width, to physical parameters such as $${}^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$$ and total ejected mass. These can be used to estimate the physical properties of observedmore » SNe Ia.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [1]
  1. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP)
OSTI Identifier:
1524170
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231; SC0017616; SC0018297
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
The Astrophysical Journal. Letters (Online)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 852; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-8213
Publisher:
Institute of Physics (IOP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

Citation Formats

Goldstein, Daniel A., and Kasen, Daniel. Evidence for Sub-Chandrasekhar Mass Type Ia Supernovae from an Extensive Survey of Radiative Transfer Models. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aaa409.
Goldstein, Daniel A., & Kasen, Daniel. Evidence for Sub-Chandrasekhar Mass Type Ia Supernovae from an Extensive Survey of Radiative Transfer Models. United States. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aaa409
Goldstein, Daniel A., and Kasen, Daniel. 2018. "Evidence for Sub-Chandrasekhar Mass Type Ia Supernovae from an Extensive Survey of Radiative Transfer Models". United States. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aaa409. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1524170.
@article{osti_1524170,
title = {Evidence for Sub-Chandrasekhar Mass Type Ia Supernovae from an Extensive Survey of Radiative Transfer Models},
author = {Goldstein, Daniel A. and Kasen, Daniel},
abstractNote = {There exists two classes of viable progenitors for normal Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia): systems in which a white dwarf explodes at the Chandrasekhar mass (${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$), and systems in which a white dwarf explodes below the Chandrasekhar mass (sub-${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$). It is not clear which of these channels is dominant; observations and light-curve modeling have provided evidence for both. In this work we use an extensive grid of 4500 time-dependent, multiwavelength radiation transport simulations to show that the sub-${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$ model can reproduce the entirety of the width–luminosity relation, while the ${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$ model can only produce the brighter events $(0.8\lt {\rm{\Delta }}{M}_{15}(B)\lt 1.55)$, implying that fast-declining SNe Ia come from sub-${M}_{\mathrm{ch}}$ explosions. We do not assume a particular theoretical paradigm for the progenitor or explosion mechanism, but instead construct parameterized models that vary the mass, kinetic energy, and compositional structure of the ejecta, thereby realizing a broad range of possible outcomes of white dwarf explosions. We provide fitting functions based on our large grid of detailed simulations that map observable properties of SNe Ia, such as peak brightness and light-curve width, to physical parameters such as ${}^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$ and total ejected mass. These can be used to estimate the physical properties of observed SNe Ia.},
doi = {10.3847/2041-8213/aaa409},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1524170}, journal = {The Astrophysical Journal. Letters (Online)},
issn = {2041-8213},
number = 2,
volume = 852,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 12 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Fri Jan 12 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
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Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 25 works
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Figures / Tables:

Table 1 Table 1: Model Parameters and Assumptions

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Works referenced in this record:

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Works referencing / citing this record:

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Mass-accreting white dwarfs and type Ia supernovae
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iPTF16abc and the population of Type Ia supernovae: comparing the photospheric, transitional, and nebular phases
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Probing type Ia supernova properties using bolometric light curves from the Carnegie Supernova Project and the CfA Supernova Group
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Constraining Type Ia supernova asymmetry with the gamma-ray escape time-scale
journal, May 2019


ASASSN-18tb: a most unusual Type Ia supernova observed by TESS and SALT
journal, May 2019


Linear spectropolarimetry of 35 Type Ia supernovae with VLT/FORS: an analysis of the Si ii line polarization
journal, August 2019


Common envelope to explosion delay time of Type Ia supernovae
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The radial distribution of supernovae compared to star formation tracers
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Characterizing the secondary maximum in the r -band for Type Ia supernovae: diagnostic for the ejecta mass
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A unified mechanism for unconfined deflagration-to-detonation transition in terrestrial chemical systems and type Ia supernovae
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Chandrasekhar and Sub-Chandrasekhar Models for the X-Ray Emission of Type Ia Supernova Remnants. I. Bulk Properties
journal, October 2018


Evidence for Sub-Chandrasekhar Type Ia Supernovae from Stellar Abundances in Dwarf Galaxies
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Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.