scholarly journals An asymmetric explosion mechanism may explain the diversity of Si ii linewidths in Type Ia supernovae

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (4) ◽  
pp. 5811-5824
Author(s):  
Ran Livneh ◽  
Boaz Katz
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Thermodynamic Equilibrium ◽  
Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium ◽  
Spectral Feature ◽  
Type Ia Supernovae ◽  
Absorption Region ◽  
Type Ia ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Good Tracer ◽  
Ia Supernovae

ABSTRACT Near maximum brightness, the spectra of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) present typical absorption features of Silicon II observed at roughly $6100$ and $5750\, \mathring{\rm A}$. The two-dimensional distribution of the pseudo-equivalent widths (pEWs) of these features is a useful tool for classifying SNe Ia spectra (Branch plot). Comparing the observed distribution of SNe on the Branch plot to results of simulated explosion models, we find that one-dimensional models fail to cover most of the distribution. In contrast, we find that tardis radiative transfer simulations of the white dwarf head-on collision models along different lines of sight almost fully cover the distribution. We use several simplified approaches to explain this result. We perform order-of-magnitude analysis and model the opacity of the Si ii lines using local thermodynamic equilibrium and non-local thermodynamic equilibrium approximations. Introducing a simple toy model of spectral feature formation, we show that the pEW is a good tracer for the extent of the absorption region in the ejecta. Using radiative transfer simulations of synthetic SN ejecta, we reproduce the observed Branch plot distribution by varying the luminosity of the SN and the Si density profile of the ejecta. We deduce that the success of the collision model in covering the Branch plot is a result of its asymmetry, which allows for a significant range of Si density profiles along different viewing angles, uncorrelated with a range of 56Ni yields that cover the observed range of SN Ia luminosity. We use our results to explain the shape and boundaries of the Branch plot distribution.

scholarly journals Understanding nebular spectra of Type Ia supernovae

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (2) ◽  
pp. 2221-2235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin D Wilk ◽  
D John Hillier ◽  
Luc Dessart
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium ◽  
Diagnostic Feature ◽  
Type Ia Supernovae ◽  
Thermal Heating ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
Type Ia ◽  
Natural Mechanism ◽  
Non Local ◽  
Ia Supernovae

ABSTRACT In this study, we present one-dimensional, non-local-thermodynamic-equilibrium, radiative transfer simulations (using cmfgen) in which we introduce micro-clumping at nebular times into two Type Ia supernova ejecta models. We use one sub-Chandrasekhar (sub-MCh) ejecta model with 1.04 M⊙ and one Chandrasekhar (MCh) ejecta model with 1.40 M⊙. We introduce clumping factors f = 0.33, 0.25, and 0.10, which are constant throughout the ejecta, and compare results to the unclumped f = 1.0 case. We find that clumping is a natural mechanism to reduce the ionization of the ejecta, reducing emission from [Fe iii], [Ar iii], and [S iii] by a factor of a few. For decreasing values of the clumping factor f, the [Ca ii] λλ7291,7324 doublet became a dominant cooling line for our MCh model but remained weak in our sub-MCh model. Strong [Ca ii] λλ7291,7324 indicates non-thermal heating in that region and may constrain explosion modelling. Due to the low abundance of stable nickel, our sub-MCh model never showed the [Ni ii] 1.939-μm diagnostic feature for all clumping values.

scholarly journals Monte Carlo radiative transfer for the nebular phase of Type Ia supernovae

2019 ◽  
Vol 492 (2) ◽  
pp. 2029-2043 ◽  
Author(s):  
L J Shingles ◽  
S A Sim ◽  
M Kromer ◽  
K Maguire ◽  
M Bulla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Atomic Data ◽  
Type Ia Supernovae ◽  
Data Set ◽  
High Ionization ◽  
Type Ia ◽  
Non Local ◽  
Ionization Balance ◽  
Ia Supernovae ◽  
Modest Effect

ABSTRACT We extend the range of validity of the artis 3D radiative transfer code up to hundreds of days after explosion, when Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are in their nebular phase. To achieve this, we add a non-local thermodynamic equilibrium population and ionization solver, a new multifrequency radiation field model, and a new atomic data set with forbidden transitions. We treat collisions with non-thermal leptons resulting from nuclear decays to account for their contribution to excitation, ionization, and heating. We validate our method with a variety of tests including comparing our synthetic nebular spectra for the well-known one-dimensional W7 model with the results of other studies. As an illustrative application of the code, we present synthetic nebular spectra for the detonation of a sub-Chandrasekhar white dwarf (WD) in which the possible effects of gravitational settling of 22Ne prior to explosion have been explored. Specifically, we compare synthetic nebular spectra for a 1.06 M⊙ WD model obtained when 5.5 Gyr of very efficient settling is assumed to a similar model without settling. We find that this degree of 22Ne settling has only a modest effect on the resulting nebular spectra due to increased 58Ni abundance. Due to the high ionization in sub-Chandrasekhar models, the nebular [Ni ii] emission remains negligible, while the [Ni iii] line strengths are increased and the overall ionization balance is slightly lowered in the model with 22Ne settling. In common with previous studies of sub-Chandrasekhar models at nebular epochs, these models overproduce [Fe iii] emission relative to [Fe ii] in comparison to observations of normal SNe Ia.

Time Dilation from Spectral Feature Age Measurements of Type IA Supernovae.

1997 ◽  
Vol 114 ◽  
pp. 722 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Riess ◽  
A. V. Filippenko ◽  
D. C. Leonard ◽  
B. P. Schmidt ◽  
N. Suntzeff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spectral Feature ◽  
Time Dilation ◽  
Type Ia Supernovae ◽  
Type Ia ◽  
Ia Supernovae

scholarly journals The accuracy of post-processed nucleosynthesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (2) ◽  
pp. 3037-3047
Author(s):  
Eduardo Bravo
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Type Ia Supernovae ◽  
Post Processing ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
Type Ia ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Stable Elements ◽  
Ia Supernovae ◽  
Better Than

ABSTRACT The computational requirements posed by multi-dimensional simulations of type Ia supernovae make it difficult to incorporate complex nuclear networks to follow the release of nuclear energy along with the propagation of the flame. Instead, these codes usually model the flame and use simplified nuclear kinetics, with the goal of determining a sufficiently accurate rate of nuclear energy generation and, afterwards, post-processing the thermodynamic trajectories with a large nuclear network to obtain more reliable nuclear yields. In this work, I study the performance of simplified nuclear networks with respect to reproduction of the nuclear yields obtained with a one-dimensional supernova code equipped with a large nuclear network. I start by defining a strategy to follow the properties of matter in nuclear statistical equilibrium (NSE). I propose to use published tables of NSE properties, together with a careful interpolation routine. Short networks (iso7 and 13α) are able to give an accurate yield of 56Ni, after post-processing, but can fail by order of magnitude in predicting the ejected mass of even mildly abundant species (>10−3 M⊙). A network of 21 species reproduces the nucleosynthesis of the Chandrasekhar and sub-Chandrasekhar explosions studied here with average errors better than 20 per cent for the whole set of stable elements and isotopes followed in the models.

scholarly journals Limits on a population of collisional-triples as progenitors of Type-Ia supernovae

2019 ◽  
Vol 490 (1) ◽  
pp. 657-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Na’ama Hallakoun ◽  
Dan Maoz
Keyword(s):  
Data Base ◽  
Main Sequence ◽  
Type Ia Supernovae ◽  
Triple Systems ◽  
Upper Limit ◽  
Type Ia ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Ia Supernovae ◽  
Gaia Dr2

ABSTRACT The progenitor systems of Type-Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are yet unknown. The collisional-triple SN Ia progenitor model posits that SNe Ia result from head-on collisions of binary white dwarfs (WDs), driven by dynamical perturbations by the tertiary stars in mild-hierarchical triple systems. To reproduce the Galactic SN Ia rate, at least ∼30–55 per cent of all WDs would need to be in triple systems of a specific architecture. We test this scenario by searching the Gaia DR2 data base for the postulated progenitor triples. Within a volume out to 120 pc, we search around Gaia-resolved double WDs with projected separations up to 300 au, for physical tertiary companions at projected separations out to 9000 au. At 120 pc, Gaia can detect faint low-mass tertiaries down to the bottom of the main sequence and to the coolest WDs. Around 27 double WDs, we identify zero tertiaries at such separations, setting a 95 per cent confidence upper limit of 11 per cent on the fraction of binary WDs that are part of mild hierarchical triples of the kind required by the model. As only a fraction (likely ∼10 per cent) of all WDs are in <300 au WD binaries, the potential collisional-triple progenitor population appears to be at least an order of magnitude (and likely several) smaller than required by the model.

scholarly journals A possible distance bias for type Ia supernovae with different ejecta velocities

2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (4) ◽  
pp. 5713-5725 ◽  
Author(s):  
M R Siebert ◽  
R J Foley ◽  
D O Jones ◽  
K W Davis
Keyword(s):  
Cosmological Model ◽  
Light Curve ◽  
Spectral Feature ◽  
Type Ia Supernovae ◽  
Curve Shape ◽  
Composite Spectra ◽  
Type Ia ◽  
Measured Distance ◽  
Ia Supernovae ◽  
Intrinsic Scatter

ABSTRACT After correcting for their light-curve shape and colour, Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are precise cosmological distance indicators. However, there remains a non-zero intrinsic scatter in the differences between measured distance and that inferred from a cosmological model (i.e. Hubble residuals or HRs), indicating that SN Ia distances can potentially be further improved. We use the open-source relational data base kaepora to generate composite spectra with desired average properties of phase, light-curve shape, and HR. At many phases, the composite spectra from two subsamples with positive and negative average HRs are significantly different. In particular, in all spectra from 9 d before to 15 d after peak brightness, we find that SNe with negative HRs have, on average, higher ejecta velocities (as seen in nearly every optical spectral feature) than SNe with positive HRs. At +4 d relative to B-band maximum, using a sample of 62 SNe Ia, we measure a 0.091 ± 0.035 mag (2.7σ) HR step between SNe with Si ii λ6355 line velocities ($v_{Si\, rm{\small II}}$) higher/lower than −11 000 km s−1 (the median velocity). After light-curve shape and colour correction, SNe with higher velocities tend to have underestimated distance moduli relative to a cosmological model. The intrinsic scatter in our sample reduces from 0.094 to 0.082 mag after making this correction. Using the Si ii λ6355 velocity evolution of 115 SNe Ia, we estimate that a velocity difference &gt;500 km s−1 exists at each epoch between the positive-HR and negative-HR samples with 99.4 per cent confidence. Finally at epochs later than +37 d, we observe that negative-HR composite spectra tend to have weaker spectral features in comparison to positive-HR composite spectra.

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