Opinion: Double Degeneracy Model for SN Ia Progenitors

[Chronos]

Just an opinion. I increasingly favor the double degeneracy model for SN Ia. The occurrence frequency looks about right, and we have hardly any confirmed companion stars for most SN Ia. While most SN Ia are too distant to have much chance of detecting a companion star, it is also true of [the admittedly few] nearby SN Ia over the last millenium. One problem I see with double degeneracy is energy released appears less constant than in the accretion model. On the other hand, we have plenty of irregular SN Ia, which suggests multiple modes. That seems reasonable. Curious what others think.

 

[Astronuc]

It seems to be on the minds of many recently.

Normal Type Ia supernovae from violent mergers of white dwarf binaries
Authors: R. Pakmor, M. Kromer, S. Taubenberger, S. A. Sim, F. K. Roepke, W. Hillebrandt
http://arxiv.org/pdf/1201.5123.pdf

On the brightness distribution of Type Ia supernovae from violent white dwarf mergers
A. J. Ruiter, S. A. Sim, R. Pakmor, M. Kromer, I. R. Seitenzahl, K. Belczynski, M. Fink, M. Herzog, W. Hillebrandt, F. K. Röpke and S. Taubenberger
http://mnras.oxfordjournals.org/content/429/2/1425.full.pdf

http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~eran/Fireworks2011/Program.html
Review: Ia progenitors
http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~eran/Fireworks2011/Talks/podsiadlowski.pdf

Some constraints on the lower mass limit for double-degenerate progenitors of Type Ia supernovae
Authors: Xuefei Chen, Jeffery C. Simon, Xianfei Zhang, Zhanwen Han
http://arxiv.org/pdf/1207.2519.pdf

Illuminating the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae with supernova rates
Kyle Barbary, Lawrence Berkeley Lab, 17 January 2012
http://astro.fnal.gov/events/Seminars/Slides/Barbary_FCPA_17Jan2012.pdf

Spectral analysis of weirdo SNe Ia – sub- and superluminous
S. Hachinger, P. A. Mazzali, S. Taubenberger, R. Pakmor, W. Hillebrandt and others
http://www.lorentzcenter.nl/lc/web/2010/391/presentations/Hachinger.pdf

Some additional publications - http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/~fritz/publications/publications.html


and - SPY — The ESO Supernovae Type Ia Progenitor Survey
http://www.eso.org/sci/publications/messenger/archive/no.112-jun03/messenger-no112-25-30.pdf