Carbon Ignition in Type Ia Supernovae: An Analytic Model

The observable properties of a Type Ia supernova are sensitive to how the nuclear runaway ignites in a Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf: at a single point at its center, off-center, or at multiple points and times. We present a simple analytic model for the runaway guided by a combination of stellar m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Astrophysical journal 2004-06, Vol.607 (2), p.921-930
Main Authors: Woosley, S. E, Wunsch, S, Kuhlen, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Late stages of stellar evolution (including black holes)
Stars
Supernovae
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Summary:The observable properties of a Type Ia supernova are sensitive to how the nuclear runaway ignites in a Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf: at a single point at its center, off-center, or at multiple points and times. We present a simple analytic model for the runaway guided by a combination of stellar mixing-length theory and analogy to Rayleigh-Benard convection. The convective flow just prior to runaway is likely to have a strong dipolar component, although this dipole may be unstable at the very high Rayleigh number (10 super(25)) appropriate to the white dwarf core. A likely outcome is multipoint ignition with an exponentially increasing number of ignition points during the few tenths of a second that it takes the runaway to develop. The first sparks ignite approximately 150-200 km off-center, followed by ignition at smaller radii. Rotation may be important to break the dipole asymmetry of the ignition and give a healthy explosion.
ISSN:0004-637X
1538-4357
DOI:10.1086/383530