Carnegie Supernova Project-II: Using Near-infrared Spectroscopy to Determine the Location of the Outer 56Ni in Type Ia Supernovae

We present the H-band wavelength region of 37 postmaximum light near-infrared spectra of three normal, nine transitional, and four subluminous type. Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), extending from +5. days to +20. days relative to the epoch of B-band maximum. We introduce a new observable, the blue-edge velocity, v(edge), of the prominent Fe/Co/Ni-peak H-band emission feature, which is quantitatively measured. The v(edge) parameter is found to decrease over subtype ranging from around -14,000 km s(-1) for normal SNe Ia, to -10,000 km s(-1) for transitional SNe. Ia, down to -5000 km s(-1) for the subluminous SNe. Ia. Furthermore, inspection of the +10 +/- 3 days spectra indicates that v(edge) is correlated with the color-stretch parameter, s(BV), and hence with peak luminosity. These results follow the previous findings that brighter SNe. Ia tend to have Ni-56 located at higher velocities as compared to subluminous objects. As v(edge) is a model-independent parameter, we propose it can be used in combination with traditional observational diagnostics to provide a new avenue to robustly distinguish between leading SNe. Ia explosion models.