Type Ia Supernovae from First-generation Stars

TL;DR

This study explores the potential for Population III stars to produce Type Ia supernovae at high redshifts, suggesting they could dominate early cosmic supernovae and informing constraints on early star formation models.

Contribution

It provides the first theoretical prediction of Pop III stars as significant progenitors of SNe Ia at high redshift, including detection prospects with JWST.

Findings

Pop III stars may produce a substantial number of SNe Ia at z > 6.

JWST could detect up to 6 Pop III SNe Ia at redshifts 5-10.

Most observed SNe Ia at lower redshift originate from Pop I/II stars.

Abstract

Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) discovered at redshift $z\lesssim2.5$ are presumed to be produced from Population (Pop) I/II stars. {In this work, we investigate the production of SNe Ia from Pop III binaries in the cosmological framework. We derive the SN Ia rate as a function of redshift under a theoretical context for the production of first generation stars and emanate the likelihood of their detection by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).} {Assuming the initial stellar mass function (IMF) favors low-mass stars as from recent numerical simulations, we found Pop III stars may give rise to a considerable amount of SNe Ia at high redshift and Pop III stars may even be the dominant SN Ia producer at z $\gtrsim 6$.} {In an optimistic scenario, we expect $\sim 1(2)$ SNe Ia from Pop III stars at $z\approx 4(5)$ for a survey of area $300 \;\rm arcmin^2$ during a $3\;\rm yr$ period with JWST. The same survey may record more than $\sim 400$ SNe Ia at lower redshift ($z\lesssim 2.5$) but with only about one of them from Pop III progenitors. There will be $\sim 6$ Pop III SNe Ia in the same field of view at redshifts of $5-10$.} Observational constraints on SN Ia rates at the redshift range of $5-10$ can place crucial constraints on the IMF of Pop III stars.