Effect of positronium on the $\gamma$-ray spectra and energy deposition in Type Ia supernovae

TL;DR

This study investigates how positronium formation affects gamma-ray spectra and energy deposition in Type Ia supernovae, using a new simulation tool to quantify its impact on observable signals.

Contribution

We developed TARDIS-HE, an open-source gamma-ray transport module, to model positronium effects in supernova ejecta, providing new insights into their influence on gamma-ray observables.

Findings

Positronium formation can reduce the 511 keV line flux by about 70%.

It can increase energy deposition by up to 2% at around 100 days post-explosion.

The effect of positronium is measurable but not dominant in gamma-ray signals.

Abstract

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are powered by the radioactive decay of isotopes such as $^{56}$Ni and $^{56}$Co, making their $\gamma$-ray spectra useful probes of the explosion mechanism and ejecta structure. Accurate interpretation of $\gamma$-ray observables, including line ratios and continuum fluxes, requires a detailed understanding of the microphysical processes that shape the spectra. One such process is positronium formation during electron-positron annihilation, which can redistribute flux from the 511 keV line into the surrounding continuum. To assess the impact of positronium on the emergent spectra, we developed a new open-source module TARDIS-HE, for time-dependent three-dimensional $\gamma$-ray transport, integrated into the radiative transfer code TARDIS. The code simulates $\gamma$-ray spectra and light curves from one-dimensional supernova ejecta models and allows for flexible incorporation of decay chains and opacity treatments. Using TARDIS-HE, we explore the effect of positronium formation by varying the positronium fraction from 0 % to 100 %, and assuming an extreme case where 75 % of positronium decays result in three-photon emission. We find that full positronium formation can reduce the 511 keV line flux by approximately 70 % and modestly enhance energy deposition by up to 2 % at around 100 days post-explosion, compared to models without positronium. These results demonstrate that while the effect is not dominant, positronium formation introduces measurable changes to $\gamma$-ray observables. Future observations with missions such as the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) may offer constraints on positronium formation in SNe Ia and help refine models of their radioactive energy transport.