Deflagration to Detonation

TL;DR

This paper discusses the mechanisms behind Type Ia supernova explosions, focusing on the deflagration-to-detonation transition, and how models explain observational properties and variations in brightness related to nickel synthesis.

Contribution

It presents a phenomenological delayed detonation model that explains many observational features of SNIa and discusses potential causes for nickel mass variations.

Findings

Delayed detonation model successfully explains SNIa observations

Variations in nickel mass linked to progenitor properties

Hubble constant estimated from SNIa without secondary indicators

Abstract

Thermonuclear explosions of Type Ia supernovae (SNIa) involve turbulent deflagrations, detonations, and possibly a deflagration-to-detonation transition. A phenomenological delayed detonation model of SNIa successfully explains many observational properties of SNIa including monochromatic light curves, spectra, brightness - decline and color - decline relations. Observed variations among SNia are explained as a result of varying nickel mass synthesised in an explosion of a Chandrasekhar mass C/O white dwarf. Based on theoretical models of SNIa, the value of the Hubble constant H_o \simeq 67km/s/Mpc was determined without the use of secondary distance indicators. The cause for the nickel mass variations in SNIa is still debated. It may be a variation of the initial C/O ratio in a supernova progenitor, rotation, or other effects.