Lightcurve Modelling of 2,205 ZTF DR2 Type~Ia Supernovae: Implications for SN Ia Physics and Cosmology

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Hauptverfasser: Sarin, Nikhil, Lindsjö, Ellen, Kelsey, Lisa, Grayling, Matthew, Sollerman, Jesper, Schulze, Steve, Miller, Adam, Ginolin, Madeleine, Hayes, Erin, Omand, Conor, Mandel, Kaisey, Do, Aaron, Dhawan, Suhail, Johansson, Joel
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Veröffentlicht: 2026
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author Sarin, Nikhil
Lindsjö, Ellen
Kelsey, Lisa
Grayling, Matthew
Sollerman, Jesper
Schulze, Steve
Miller, Adam
Ginolin, Madeleine
Hayes, Erin
Omand, Conor
Mandel, Kaisey
Do, Aaron
Dhawan, Suhail
Johansson, Joel
author_facet Sarin, Nikhil
Lindsjö, Ellen
Kelsey, Lisa
Grayling, Matthew
Sollerman, Jesper
Schulze, Steve
Miller, Adam
Ginolin, Madeleine
Hayes, Erin
Omand, Conor
Mandel, Kaisey
Do, Aaron
Dhawan, Suhail
Johansson, Joel
contents We fit the multi-band light curves of 2,205 Type Ia supernovae (SNe~Ia) from the Zwicky Transient Facility DR2 with a one-zone radioactive decay model with a phenomenological addition to include Fe recombination physics. We find a strong correlation between inferred nickel mass and SALT2 stretch, which within our simplified modelling is linked to larger ejecta masses providing longer diffusion times, providing a physical basis for the brighter-slower relation. SN~Ia in low-mass hosts ($\log_{10}(M_*/M_\odot) < 10$) produce $12\%$ more $^{56}$Ni than those in high-mass hosts ($ΔM_{\rm Ni} = 0.13~M_\odot$), linking the host-galaxy mass step to ejecta properties and hinting at metallicity or age-dependent burning efficiencies. This suggests that standardisation based on physical parameters may remove the mass-step. SN~1991T-like events show higher ejecta masses (median $1.64~M_\odot$ vs. $1.38~M_\odot$ for normals) and produce $30\%$ more $^{56}$Ni, with $84\%$ having super-Chandrasekhar masses. Through Hierarchical modelling of $902$ SNe ($z \leq 0.06$), we find thermonuclear supernovae can be well described by a Gaussian distribution in ejecta mass and nickel mass with $μ_{\rm ej} = 1.26 \pm 0.01~M_\odot$ ($σ_{\rm ej} = 0.33 \pm 0.01~M_\odot$) and $μ_{\rm Ni} = 0.64 \pm 0.06~M_\odot$ ($σ_{\rm Ni} = 0.42 \pm 0.02~M_\odot$), respectively. This leads to inferred fractions of $43 \pm 2\%$ sub-$M_{\rm Ch}$ ($<1.2~M_\odot$), $34 \pm 1\%$ near-$M_{\rm Ch}$ ($1.2$--$1.5~M_\odot$), and $24 \pm 2\%$ super-$M_{\rm Ch}$ ($>1.5~M_\odot$) events. This work provides a step towards holistic physical characterization of the local SN~Ia population, reinforcing the physical basis of SN~Ia standardization while quantifying diversity and environmental dependencies critical for understanding progenitor physics and mitigating systematics in precision cosmology.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_02677
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Lightcurve Modelling of 2,205 ZTF DR2 Type~Ia Supernovae: Implications for SN Ia Physics and Cosmology
Sarin, Nikhil
Lindsjö, Ellen
Kelsey, Lisa
Grayling, Matthew
Sollerman, Jesper
Schulze, Steve
Miller, Adam
Ginolin, Madeleine
Hayes, Erin
Omand, Conor
Mandel, Kaisey
Do, Aaron
Dhawan, Suhail
Johansson, Joel
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
We fit the multi-band light curves of 2,205 Type Ia supernovae (SNe~Ia) from the Zwicky Transient Facility DR2 with a one-zone radioactive decay model with a phenomenological addition to include Fe recombination physics. We find a strong correlation between inferred nickel mass and SALT2 stretch, which within our simplified modelling is linked to larger ejecta masses providing longer diffusion times, providing a physical basis for the brighter-slower relation. SN~Ia in low-mass hosts ($\log_{10}(M_*/M_\odot) < 10$) produce $12\%$ more $^{56}$Ni than those in high-mass hosts ($ΔM_{\rm Ni} = 0.13~M_\odot$), linking the host-galaxy mass step to ejecta properties and hinting at metallicity or age-dependent burning efficiencies. This suggests that standardisation based on physical parameters may remove the mass-step. SN~1991T-like events show higher ejecta masses (median $1.64~M_\odot$ vs. $1.38~M_\odot$ for normals) and produce $30\%$ more $^{56}$Ni, with $84\%$ having super-Chandrasekhar masses. Through Hierarchical modelling of $902$ SNe ($z \leq 0.06$), we find thermonuclear supernovae can be well described by a Gaussian distribution in ejecta mass and nickel mass with $μ_{\rm ej} = 1.26 \pm 0.01~M_\odot$ ($σ_{\rm ej} = 0.33 \pm 0.01~M_\odot$) and $μ_{\rm Ni} = 0.64 \pm 0.06~M_\odot$ ($σ_{\rm Ni} = 0.42 \pm 0.02~M_\odot$), respectively. This leads to inferred fractions of $43 \pm 2\%$ sub-$M_{\rm Ch}$ ($<1.2~M_\odot$), $34 \pm 1\%$ near-$M_{\rm Ch}$ ($1.2$--$1.5~M_\odot$), and $24 \pm 2\%$ super-$M_{\rm Ch}$ ($>1.5~M_\odot$) events. This work provides a step towards holistic physical characterization of the local SN~Ia population, reinforcing the physical basis of SN~Ia standardization while quantifying diversity and environmental dependencies critical for understanding progenitor physics and mitigating systematics in precision cosmology.
title Lightcurve Modelling of 2,205 ZTF DR2 Type~Ia Supernovae: Implications for SN Ia Physics and Cosmology
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.02677