A progenitor binary and an ejected mass donor remnant of faint type Ia supernovae

TL;DR

This paper presents the discovery of a binary system that likely leads to a faint Type Ia supernova via a double-detonation mechanism, and identifies a hypervelocity star as its remnant.

Contribution

It provides the first observational evidence linking a progenitor binary system to a hypervelocity remnant of a faint Type Ia supernova.

Findings

The binary system CD-30 11223 contains a white dwarf and a helium star.

Modeling shows helium detonation can trigger white dwarf explosion.

The hypervelocity star US 708 matches predicted remnant properties.

Abstract

Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) are the most important standard candles for measuring the expansion history of the universe. The thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf can explain their observed properties, but neither the progenitor systems nor any stellar remnants have been conclusively identified. Underluminous SN Ia have been proposed to originate from a so-called double-detonation of a white dwarf. After a critical amount of helium is deposited on the surface through accretion from a close companion, the helium is ignited causing a detonation wave that triggers the explosion of the white dwarf itself. We have discovered both shallow transits and eclipses in the tight binary system CD-30 11223 composed of a carbon/oxygen white dwarf and a hot helium star, allowing us to determine its component masses and fundamental parameters. In the future the system will transfer mass from the helium star to the white dwarf. Modelling this process we find that the detonation in the accreted helium layer is sufficiently strong to trigger the explosion of the core. The helium star will then be ejected at so large a velocity that it will escape the Galaxy. The predicted properties of this remnant are an excellent match to the so-called hypervelocity star US 708, a hot, helium-rich star moving at more than 750 km/s, sufficient to leave the Galaxy. The identification of both progenitor and remnant provides a consistent picture of the formation and evolution of underluminous type Ia supernovae.