Mass-accreting white dwarfs and type Ia supernovae

TL;DR

This review discusses recent advances in understanding the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae, including various models and their evolutionary paths, to explain the observed diversity of these cosmic explosions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of current progenitor models for SNe Ia, highlighting recent progress and the need for multiple models to explain their diversity.

Findings

Multiple progenitor models are likely needed to explain SNe Ia diversity.

Recent progress has expanded the initial parameter space for SNe Ia progenitors.

Observational constraints help refine progenitor scenarios.

Abstract

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) play a prominent role in understanding the evolution of Universe. They are thought to be thermonuclear explosions of mass-accreting carbon-oxygen white dwarfs (CO WDs) in binaries, although the mass donors of the accreting WDs are still not well determined. In this article, I review recent studies on mass-accreting WDs, including H- and He-accreting WDs. I also review currently most studied progenitor models of SNe Ia, i.e., the single-degenerate model (including the WD+MS channel, the WD+RG channel and the WD+He star channel), the double-degenerate model (including the violent merger scenario) and the sub-Chandrasekhar mass model. Recent progress on these progenitor models is discussed, including the initial parameter space for producing SNe Ia, the binary evolutionary paths to SNe Ia, the progenitor candidates of SNe Ia, the possible surviving companion stars of SNe Ia, and some observational constraints, etc. Some other potential progenitor models of SNe Ia are also summarized, including the hybrid CONe WD model, the core-degenerate model, the double WD collision model, the spin-up/spin-down model, and the model of WDs near black holes.To date, it seems that two or more progenitor models are needed to explain the observed diversity among SNe Ia.