The Single-Degenerate Channel Leads to Type Iax and Not Type Ia Supernovae due to Premature Ignition
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| _version_ | 1866917278107303936 |
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| author | Michaelis, Amir Perets, Hagai B. |
| author_facet | Michaelis, Amir Perets, Hagai B. |
| contents | Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are a critical tool for cosmology and galactic enrichment, yet the progenitor systems of normal SNe Ia remain a central puzzle. The long-debated single-degenerate (SD) channel, where a white dwarf (WD) accretes mass from a companion, faces major observational conflicts. Here, we present 3D hydrodynamic simulations that resolve these tensions by showing a fundamental dichotomy: accreting WDs predominantly ignite prematurely at sub-Chandrasekhar masses, producing low-energy, incomplete explosions consistent with Type Iax supernovae. Only WDs reaching a narrow mass threshold of 1.37 solar mass undergo complete destruction, characteristic of normal SNe Ia. This "safety valve" mechanism effectively recasts the SD channel as the main pathway to SNe Iax, not normal SNe Ia, providing a unified explanation for the observed scarcity of progenitor signatures in the latter and suggesting alternative channels dominate normal SNe Ia production. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_16907 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | The Single-Degenerate Channel Leads to Type Iax and Not Type Ia Supernovae due to Premature Ignition Michaelis, Amir Perets, Hagai B. Solar and Stellar Astrophysics High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are a critical tool for cosmology and galactic enrichment, yet the progenitor systems of normal SNe Ia remain a central puzzle. The long-debated single-degenerate (SD) channel, where a white dwarf (WD) accretes mass from a companion, faces major observational conflicts. Here, we present 3D hydrodynamic simulations that resolve these tensions by showing a fundamental dichotomy: accreting WDs predominantly ignite prematurely at sub-Chandrasekhar masses, producing low-energy, incomplete explosions consistent with Type Iax supernovae. Only WDs reaching a narrow mass threshold of 1.37 solar mass undergo complete destruction, characteristic of normal SNe Ia. This "safety valve" mechanism effectively recasts the SD channel as the main pathway to SNe Iax, not normal SNe Ia, providing a unified explanation for the observed scarcity of progenitor signatures in the latter and suggesting alternative channels dominate normal SNe Ia production. |
| title | The Single-Degenerate Channel Leads to Type Iax and Not Type Ia Supernovae due to Premature Ignition |
| topic | Solar and Stellar Astrophysics High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.16907 |