Work

Using 44Ti emission to differentiate between thermonuclear supernova progenitors

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT The radioisotope 44Ti is produced through α-rich freezeout and explosive helium burning in type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). In this paper, we discuss how the detection of 44Ti, either through late-time light curves of SNe Ia, or directly via gamma-rays, can uniquely constrain the origin of SNe Ia. In particular, building upon recent advances in the hydrodynamical simulation of helium-ignited double white dwarf binaries, we demonstrate that the detection of 44Ti in a nearby SN Ia or in a young Galactic supernova remnant (SNR) can discriminate between the double-detonation and double-degenerate channels of sub-Chandrasekhar (sub-MCh) and near-Chandrasekhar (near-MCh) SNe Ia. In addition, we predict that the late-time light curves of calcium-rich transients are entirely dominated by 44Ti.

Source: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters

DOI: 10.1093/mnrasl/slac152

Authors: Daniel Kosakowski, Mark Ivan Ugalino, Robert Fisher, Or Graur, Alexey Bobrick, Hagai B Perets

Institutions: University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, American Museum of Natural History, University of Portsmouth, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Science and Technology Facilities Council

Awards: G1590527441, G1688734548, G244809316, G3409891479, EVALUATING THE DOUBLE-DEGENERATE SPIRAL TYPE IA SUPERNOVA MODEL