Journal
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
Volume 785, Issue 2, Pages -Publisher
IOP PUBLISHING LTD
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/785/2/105
Keywords
hydrodynamics; nuclear reactions, nucleosynthesis, abundances; shock waves; supernovae: general; white dwarfs
Categories
Funding
- DOE HEP Program [DE-SC0010676]
- National Science Foundation [AST 0909129, AST 1109896]
- NASA Theory Program [NNX09AK36G]
- Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Physics [DE-SC0008067]
- Alexander von Humboldt Foundation through the Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship program
- Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy [DE-AC02-05CH11231, DE-AC05-00OR22725]
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) [DE-SC0008067] Funding Source: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- NASA [NNX09AK36G, 115522] Funding Source: Federal RePORTER
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien [1229745] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Division Of Astronomical Sciences [1229745] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Division Of Astronomical Sciences
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien [1109896] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Merging white dwarfs are a possible progenitor of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). Numerical models suggest that a detonation might be initiated before the stars have coalesced to form a single compact object. Here we study such prompt detonations by means of numerical simulations, modeling the disruption and nucleosynthesis of the stars until the ejecta reach the coasting phase, and generating synthetic light curves and spectra. Three models are considered with primary masses 0.96M(circle dot), 1.06M(circle dot), and 1.20M(circle dot). Of these, the 0.96M(circle dot) dwarf merging with a 0.81M(circle dot) companion, with an Ni-56 yield of 0.58M(circle dot), is the most promising candidate for reproducing common SNe Ia. The more massive mergers produce unusually luminous SNe Ia with peak luminosities approaching those attributed to super-Chandrasekhar mass SNe Ia. While the synthetic light curves and spectra of some of the models resemble observed SNe Ia, the significant asymmetry of the ejecta leads to large orientation effects. The peak bolometric luminosity varies by more than a factor of two with the viewing angle, and the velocities of the spectral absorption features are lower when observed from angles where the light curve is brightest. The largest orientation effects are seen in the ultraviolet, where the flux varies by more than an order of magnitude. The set of three models roughly obeys a width-luminosity relation, with the brighter light curves declining more slowly in the B band. Spectral features due to unburned carbon from the secondary star are also seen in some cases.
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