ESO Expanding Horizons: Underluminous Thermonuclear Supernovae

TL;DR

Underluminous thermonuclear supernovae are a newly recognized class of faint stellar explosions linked to white dwarf deflagrations, with detection challenges due to current observational limitations, making them a prime target for the ESO Expanding Horizons program.

Contribution

This paper highlights the importance of underluminous thermonuclear supernovae and advocates for advanced observational capabilities to study these transient events.

Findings

uTSNe resemble Type Ia supernovae but are significantly dimmer.

Detection is limited by current optical imaging and spectroscopic capabilities.

ESO's Expanding Horizons program could enable crucial observations.

Abstract

Underluminous Thermonuclear Supernovae (uTSNe) are an emerging class of transient events that resemble classic Supernovae Type Ia, but peak at much lower luminosities. Suspected to be the deflagrations of white dwarfs, they directly link the final stages of low-mass binary star evolution to extragalactic studies that are critical for cosmology. The ability to detect and study uTSNe is limited by the lack of high spatial resolution (<0.1"), wide-field (>10'x10') imaging capabilities in the optical, as well as large-scale segmented-telescope spectroscopic abilities that allow highly dynamic time-critical spectroscopy of short-duration transient events. Neither capability is currently foreseen for the European Southern Observatory and is therefore an excellent candidate for the Expanding Horizons program.