Astrophysics and Cosmology Seminar
Revisiting the single-degenerate (SD) scenario for thermonuclear (Type Ia) supernovae.
Dr. Amir Michaelis
Technion
Abstract
The progenitor systems of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) remain a fundamental mystery. In this seminar, we revisit the single-degenerate (SD) scenario, white dwarf accretion from a non-degenerate companion, to redefine its potential outcomes.
We demonstrate that many "standard" SD pathways suffer from premature ignition, leading to partial deflagrations and Type Iax events rather than normal SNe Ia (arXiv:2507.16907). We will present a "quiet" alternative: quiescent helium accretion. We show this mode can successfully trigger double-detonations, providing a robust path to normal SNe Ia within the SD framework (arXiv:2510.20904).
We introduce "Transformation Information," a novel morphological metric that quantifies the symmetry of supernova remnants (arXiv:2601.07913). This diagnostic allows us to link remnant complexity back to progenitor physics.
We demonstrate that many "standard" SD pathways suffer from premature ignition, leading to partial deflagrations and Type Iax events rather than normal SNe Ia (arXiv:2507.16907). We will present a "quiet" alternative: quiescent helium accretion. We show this mode can successfully trigger double-detonations, providing a robust path to normal SNe Ia within the SD framework (arXiv:2510.20904).
We introduce "Transformation Information," a novel morphological metric that quantifies the symmetry of supernova remnants (arXiv:2601.07913). This diagnostic allows us to link remnant complexity back to progenitor physics.