Constraining Type Ia supernova explosions and early flux excesses with the Zwicky Transient Factory

TL;DR

This study analyzes early light curves of Type Ia supernovae from the Zwicky Transient Factory to constrain explosion models and quantify early flux excesses, revealing a preference for Chandrasekhar-mass explosions and identifying various causes for flux excesses.

Contribution

It provides the largest analysis of early SN Ia light curves, compares observations with detailed explosion models, and estimates the rate and origins of early flux excesses.

Findings

Most light curves match Chandrasekhar-mass explosion models.

Approximately 18% of SNe Ia show early flux excesses.

Higher flux excess rates in 91T/99aa-like supernovae.

Abstract

In the new era of time-domain surveys Type Ia supernovae are being caught sooner after explosion, which has exposed significant variation in their early light curves. Two driving factors for early time evolution are the distribution of nickel in the ejecta and the presence of flux excesses of various causes. We perform an analysis of the largest young SN Ia sample to date. We compare 115 SN Ia light curves from the Zwicky Transient Facility to the turtls model grid containing light curves of Chandrasekhar-mass explosions with a range of nickel masses, nickel distributions and explosion energies. We find that the majority of our observed light curves are well reproduced by Chandrasekhar-mass explosion models with a preference for highly extended nickel distributions. We identify six SNe Ia with an early-time flux excess in our g- and r-band data (four `blue' and two `red' flux excesses). We find an intrinsic rate of 18+/-11 per cent of early flux excesses in SNe Ia at z < 0.07, based on three detected flux excesses out of 30 (10 per cent) observed SNe Ia with a simulated efficiency of 57 per cent. This is comparable to rates of flux excesses in the literature but also accounts for detection efficiencies. Two of these events are mostly consistent with CSM interaction, while the other four have longer lifetimes in agreement with companion interaction and nickel-clump models. We find a higher frequency of flux excesses in 91T/99aa-like events (44+/-13 per cent).