1–5 Jul 2019
Geological Museum
Europe/Copenhagen timezone

Do sub-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarf explosions occur in nature?

4 Jul 2019, 14:20
20m
Main Auditorium (Geological Museum)

Main Auditorium

Geological Museum

Øster Voldgade 5-7 DK-1350 Copenhagen

Speaker

Abigail Polin (UC Berkeley)

Description

Carbon-oxygen WDs accreting a helium shell have the potential to explode in the sub-Chandrasekhar mass regime through the double detonation scenario, when a helium shell ignition propagates a shock wave into the the core of the WD causing a central ignition. I will present the results of a recent numerical parameter survey of hydrodynamic and radiative transport models of sub-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarf explosions. I examine a relationship between SiII velocity and luminosity which, for the first time, identifies a sub-class of observed supernovae that are consistent with these models. I will show the distinct observational signatures of sub-Chandrasekhar mass WD explosions predicted for early time, peak and nebular observations. I will also discuss the discovery of the peculiar Type I supernova, SN2018byg: the first observed sub-Chandrasekhar mass mass white dwarf explosion triggered by the ignition of a massive helium shell.

Primary author

Abigail Polin (UC Berkeley)

Co-authors

Prof. Daniel Kasen (UC Berkeley) Dr Peter Nugent (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

Presentation materials

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