SDSSJ0018-0939: A Clear Signature of Sub-Chandrasekhar Mass Type 1a Supernova

TL;DR

This paper identifies SDSSJ0018-0939 as the first clear case of a sub-Chandrasekhar mass Type Ia supernova signature in a very metal-poor star, supporting the idea that sub-${\rm M_{Ch}}$ supernovae dominate early galactic chemical evolution.

Contribution

The study provides the first unambiguous nucleosynthetic signature of a sub-${\rm M_{Ch}}$ Type Ia supernova in a very metal-poor star, using detailed analysis of its abundance pattern.

Findings

SDSSJ0018-0939 shows a clear signature of sub-${\rm M_{Ch}}$ SN1a from He detonation.

Sub-${\rm M_{Ch}}$ SN1a may account for 50-75% of all SN1a, especially in the early Galaxy.

This star's abundance pattern supports the dominance of sub-${\rm M_{Ch}}$ supernovae in early galactic evolution.

Abstract

Very metal-poor (VMP) stars (${\rm [Fe/H]}\leq -2$) that have sub-solar values of ${\rm [X/Fe]}$ for $\alpha$ elements such as Mg, Si, and Ca, are referred to as $\alpha$-poor VMP stars. They are quite rare among VMP stars and are thought to have formed from gas enriched predominantly by a single Type Ia supernovae (SN1a) in contrast to most VMP stars which are $\alpha$-enhanced and usually associated with core-collapse supernovae. The observed abundance pattern in such stars can provide a direct way to probe the nucleosynthesis in individual SN1a. Although the abundance patterns in some $\alpha$-poor VMP stars have been shown to be consistent with SN1a ejecta, a clear nucleosynthetic signature for SN1a resulting from the explosion of a near Chandrasekhar mass (near-${\rm M_{Ch}}$) or a sub-Chandrasekhar mass (sub-${\rm M_{Ch}}$) white dwarf, has not been unambiguously detected. We perform a detailed analysis of various formation channels of VMP stars and find that the $\alpha$-poor VMP star SDSSJ0018-0939, which was earlier reported as a star with potential pair-instability supernova origin, provides almost a smoking-gun signature of a sub-${\rm M_{Ch}}$ SN1a resulting from He detonation. We find that compared to other $\alpha$-poor VMP stars that were previously identified with SN1a, SDSSJ0018-0939 is the only star that has a clear and unambiguous signature of SN1a. Interestingly, our results are consistent with constraints on SN1a from recent galactic chemical evolution studies that indicate that sub-${\rm M_{Ch}}$ SN1a account for $\sim 50\hbox{--}75\,\%$ of all SN1a and are possibly the dominant channel in the early Galaxy.