Investigation of the Progenitors of the Type Ia Supernovae Associated With the LMC Supernova Remnants 0505-67.9 and 0509-68.7

TL;DR

This study investigates the progenitor systems of two Type Ia supernova remnants in the Large Magellanic Cloud by analyzing potential ex-companion stars within their central regions, highlighting the ongoing uncertainty in progenitor identification.

Contribution

The paper provides detailed observations of two supernova remnants and identifies candidate ex-companion stars, emphasizing that multiple progenitor models remain plausible.

Findings

Potential ex-companion stars identified near remnant centers

All single and double degenerate models remain viable

Future observations needed to confirm true ex-companions

Abstract

Although Type Ia supernovae have been heavily scrutinized due to their use in making cosmological distance estimates, we are still unable to definitively identify the progenitors for the entire population. While answers have been presented for certain specific systems, a complete solution remains elusive. We present observations of two supernova remnants (SNRs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud, SNR 0505-67.9 and SNR 0509-68.7, for which we have identified the center of the remnant and the 99.73% containment central region in which any companion star left over after the supernova must be located. Both remnants have a number of potential ex-companion stars near their centers; all possible single and double degenerate progenitor models remain viable for these two supernovae. Future observations may be able to identify the true ex-companions for both remnants.