The Single-Degenerate Channel Leads to Type Iax and Not Type Ia Supernovae due to Premature Ignition

Fuente: arXiv
Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser: Michaelis, Amir, Perets, Hagai B.
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
_version_ 1866917278107303936
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
id 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