The progenitors of subluminous type Ia supernovae
We find that spectroscopically peculiar subluminous SNe Ia come from an old population. Of the thirteen subluminous SNe Ia known, nine are found in E/S0 galaxies, and the remainder are found in early-type spirals. The probability that this is a chance occurrence is only 0.1%. The finding that subluminous SNe Ia are associated with an older stellar population indicates that for a sufficiently large lookback time (already accessible in current high redshift searches) they will not be found. Due to a scarcity in old populations, hydrogen and helium main sequence stars and He red giant stars that undergo Roche lobe overflow are unlikely to be the progenitors of subluminous SNe Ia. Earlier findings that overluminous SNe Ia (DELTA m{sub 15} (B) < 0.94) come from a young progenitor population are confirmed. The fact that subluminous SNe Ia and overluminous SNe Ia come from different progenitor populations and also have different properties is a prediction of the CO white dwarf merger progenitor scenario.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Director, Office of Science. Office of High Energy and Nuclear Physics. Division of High Energy Physics; National Science Foundation (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 787130
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL-47885; R&D Project: 419401; TRN: AH200134%%184
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal , Letters, Vol. 554, Issue 2, pt. 2; Other Information: Journal Publication Date: June 20, 2001; PBD: 1 Feb 2001
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
CONSTRAINTS ON TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA PROGENITOR COMPANIONS FROM EARLY ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS WITH SWIFT
THE LOW-VELOCITY, RAPIDLY FADING TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA 2002es