Nebular Models of Sub-Chandrasekhar Mass Type Ia Supernovae: Clues to the Origin of Ca-rich Transients

Abstract

We use non-local thermal equilibrium radiative transport modeling to examine observational signatures of sub-Chandrasekhar mass double detonation explosions in the nebular phase. Results range from spectra that look like typical and subluminous Type Ia supernovae (SNe) for higher mass progenitors to spectra that look like Ca-rich transients for lower mass progenitors. This ignition mechanism produces an inherent relationship between emission features and the progenitor mass as the ratio of the nebular [Ca II]/[Fe III] emission lines increases with decreasing white dwarf mass. Examining the [Ca II]/[Fe III] nebular line ratio in a sample of observed SNe we find further evidence for the two distinct classes of SNe Ia identified in Polin et al. by their relationship between Si II velocity and B-band magnitude, both at time of peak brightness. This suggests that SNe Ia arise from more than one progenitor channel, and provides an empirical method for classifying events based on their physical origin. Furthermore, we provide insight to the mysterious origin of Ca-rich transients. Low-mass double detonation models with only a small mass fraction of Ca (1%) produce nebular spectra that cool primarily through forbidden [Ca II] emission.

14 pages, 9 figures, published by ApJ

References in corpus (22)

• CfA3: 185 Type Ia Supernova Light Curves from the CfA
• Double-detonation sub-Chandrasekhar supernovae: can minimum helium shell masses detonate the core?
• Faint Thermonuclear Supernovae from AM Canum Venaticorum Binaries
• Time Dependent Monte Carlo Radiative Transfer Calculations For 3-Dimensional Supernova Spectra, Lightcurves, and Polarization
• The Spectroscopic Diversity of Type Ia Supernovae
• Double-detonation supernovae of sub-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarfs
• Optical and Near-Infrared Observations of the Highly Reddened, Rapidly Expanding Type Ia Supernova 2006X in M100
• Anomalous extinction behaviour towards the Type Ia SN 2003cg
• Optical Spectroscopy of Type Ia Supernovae
• ESC and KAIT Observations of the Transitional Type Ia SN 2004eo
• Exploring the spectral diversity of low-redshift Type Ia supernovae using the Palomar Transient Factory
• Double Detonations with Thin, Modestly Enriched Helium Layers Can Make Normal Type Ia Supernovae
• Nebular spectra and abundance tomography of the type Ia supernova SN 2011fe: a normal SN Ia with a stable Fe core
• Optical and IR observations of SN 2002dj: some possible common properties of fast expanding SNe Ia
• Two New Calcium-Rich Gap Transients in Group and Cluster Environments
• Linear spectropolarimetry of 35 Type Ia Supernovae with VLT/FORS: An analysis of the Si II line polarization
• ZTF 18aaqeasu (SN 2018byg): A Massive Helium-shell Double Detonation on a Sub-Chandrasekhar Mass White Dwarf
• Sub-Chandrasekhar progenitors favoured for type Ia supernovae: Evidence from late-time spectroscopy
• One-dimensional non-LTE time-dependent radiative transfer of an He-detonation model and the connection to faint and fast-decaying supernovae
• The Progenitors of Calcium-Strong Transients
• The detonation of a sub-Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf at the origin of the low-luminosity Type Ia supernova 1999by
• Optical and ultraviolet spectroscopic analysis of SN 2011fe at late times

Cited by in corpus (29)

• Multi-Dimensional Radiative Transfer Calculations of Double Detonations of Sub-Chandrasekhar-Mass White Dwarfs
• White Dwarf Subsystems in Core-Collapsed Globular Clusters
• Transients from ONe White-Dwarf - Neutron-Star/Black-Hole Mergers
• ZTF Early Observations of Type Ia Supernovae III: Early-Time Colors as a Test for Explosion Models and Multiple Populations
• Discovery of a double detonation thermonuclear supernova progenitor
• Ca hnk: Calcium-rich Transient SN 2016hnk from the Helium Shell Detonation of a Sub-Chandrasekhar White Dwarf
• A Bright Ultraviolet Excess in the Transitional 02es-like Type Ia Supernova 2019yvq
• Constraining the Progenitor System of the Type Ia Supernova 2021aefx
• Nonlinear dynamical tides in white dwarf binaries
• The peculiar Ca-rich SN 2019ehk: Evidence for a Type IIb core-collapse supernova from a low mass stripped progenitor
• SN2019yvq Does Not Conform to SN Ia Explosion Models
• The origin and evolution of the normal Type Ia SN 2018aoz with infant-phase reddening and excess emission
• A Rapid Ionization Change in the Nebular-Phase Spectra of the Type Ia SN 2011fe
• SN 2016dsg: A Thermonuclear Explosion Involving A Thick Helium Shell
• The Late-Time Light Curves of Type Ia Supernovae: Confronting Models with Observations
• Origin of high-velocity ejecta and early red excess emission in the infant Type Ia supernova 2021aefx
• Probing pre-supernova mass loss in double-peaked Type Ibc supernovae from the Zwicky Transient Facility
• Physical Properties of the Host Galaxies of Ca-rich Transients
• Tidally excited oscillations in hot white dwarfs
• The Search for Stable Nickel: Investigating the Origins of Type Ia Supernovae with Late-time NIR Spectroscopy from the Carnegie Supernova Project-II
• Type Ia Supernovae and their Explosive Nucleosynthesis: Constraints on Progenitors
• The $\gamma$-ray deposition histories of Calcium-rich supernovae
• Deciphering the explosion mechanism of Type Ia SNe using their remnants II: a deep dive into double detonations with SNR 0509-67.5
• The Dark Energy Survey Supernova Program results: Type Ia Supernova brightness correlates with host galaxy dust
• Characterizing the host galaxies and delay times of Ca-rich gap transients vs 91bg-like SNe and normal Type Ia SNe
• Revisiting the Perseus Cluster II: Metallicity-Dependence of Massive Stars and Chemical Enrichment History
• A multiwavelength view of the nearby Calcium-Strong Transient SN 2025coe in the X-Ray, Near-Infrared, and Radio Wavebands
• SN 2021pfs: A Type Ia Supernova Likely Affected by Progenitor Metallicity, as Revealed by Comparison with Its Twin Counterpart
• The double detonation of a double degenerate system, from Type Ia supernova explosion to its supernova remnant