Carbon Ignition in Type Ia Supernovae: An Analytic Model

Woosley, S. E.; Wunsch, Scott; Kuhlen, M.

doi:10.1086/383530

Cited by 148 publications

(236 citation statements)

References 37 publications

(35 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

219

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The third factor, namely the number and distribution of runaway centers, also known as hot spots or igniting bubbles, is intrinsically multidimensional, so that it cannot be determined with our onedimensional hydrostatic code. Hence, we consider alternative ways of addressing both the dependence of the neutronization during carbon simmering (Chamulak et al 2008;Piro & Bildsten 2008) and the number and distribution of hot spots, on the presence of a LER in the 12 C+ 12 C reaction (Woosley et al 2004). …”

Section: Physical Conditions At Thermal Runawaymentioning

confidence: 99%

Type Ia supernovae and the¹²C+¹²C reaction rate

Bravo

Piersanti

Domínguez

et al. 2011

A&A

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Context. Even if the 12 C+ 12 C reaction plays a central role in the ignition of type Ia supernovae (SNIa), the experimental determination of its cross-section at astrophysically relevant energies (E 2 MeV) has never been made. The profusion of resonances throughout the measured energy range has led to speculation that there is an unknown resonance at E 0 ∼ 1.5 MeV possibly as strong as the one measured for the resonance at 2.14 MeV, i.e. (ωγ) R = 0.13 meV. Aims. We study the implications that such a resonance would have for our knowledge of the physics of SNIa, paying special attention to the phases that go from the crossing of the ignition curve to the dynamical event.Methods. We use one-dimensional hydrostatic and hydrodynamic codes to follow the evolution of accreting white dwarfs until they grow close to the Chandrasekhar mass and explode as SNIa. In our simulations, we account for a low-energy resonance by exploring the parameter space allowed by experimental data. Results. A change in the 12 C+ 12 C rate similar to the one explored here would have profound consequences for the physical conditions in the SNIa explosion, namely the central density, neutronization, thermal profile, mass of the convective core, location of the runaway hot spot, or time elapsed since crossing the ignition curve. For instance, with the largest resonance strength we use, the time elapsed since crossing the ignition curve to the supernova event is shorter by a factor ten than for models using the standard rate of 12 C+ 12 C, and the runaway temperature is reduced from ∼8.14 × 10 8 K to ∼4.26 × 10 8 K. On the other hand, a resonance at 1.5 MeV, with a strength ten thousand times smaller than the one measured at 2.14 MeV, but with an α/p yield ratio substantially different from 1 would have a sizeable impact on the degree of neutronization of matter during carbon simmering. Conclusions. A robust understanding of the links between SNIa properties and their progenitors will not be attained until the 12 C+ 12 C reaction rate is measured at energies ∼1.5 MeV.

show abstract

Section: Physical Conditions At Thermal Runawaymentioning

confidence: 99%

Type Ia supernovae and the¹²C+¹²C reaction rate

Bravo

Piersanti

Domínguez

et al. 2011

A&A

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Our simulations begin when the nuclear burning timescale becomes shorter than the eddy turnover time, so that the first flamelet is ignited near (within a few hundred kilometers of) the center of the WD. As discussed by Townsley et al (2007), there is still significant uncertainty in the form which the nuclear flame will take at birth (also see, e.g., Woosley et al 2004), relating to the number and location of what are generally assumed to be relatively small (less than 1 km) ignition regions. For reasons related to simplicity of setup and limitations of the imposed cylindrical symmetry, we restrict our study to offcenter, single-point ignitions in a quiescent background star.…”

Section: Flame Ignition and Deflagrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

STUDY OF THE DETONATION PHASE IN THE GRAVITATIONALLY CONFINED DETONATION MODEL OF TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE

Meakin

Seitenzahl

Townsley

et al. 2009

ApJ

100

118

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We study the gravitationally confined detonation (GCD) model of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) through the detonation phase and into homologous expansion. In the GCD model, a detonation is triggered by the surface flow due to single-point, off-center flame ignition in carbon-oxygen white dwarfs (WDs). The simulations are unique in terms of the degree to which nonidealized physics is used to treat the reactive flow, including weak reaction rates and a time-dependent treatment of material in nuclear statistical equilibrium (NSE). Careful attention is paid to accurately calculating the final composition of material which is burned to NSE and frozen out in the rapid expansion following the passage of a detonation wave over the high-density core of the WD; and an efficient method for nucleosynthesis postprocessing is developed which obviates the need for costly network calculations along tracer particle thermodynamic trajectories. Observational diagnostics are presented for the explosion models, including abundance stratifications and integrated yields. We find that for all of the ignition conditions studied here a self-regulating process comprised of neutronization and stellar expansion results in final 56 Ni masses of ∼1.1 M . But, more energetic models result in larger total NSE and stable Fe-peak yields. The total yield of intermediate mass elements is ∼ 0.1 M and the explosion energies are all around 1.5 × 10 51 erg. The explosion models are briefly compared to the inferred properties of recent SN Ia observations. The potential for surface detonation models to produce lower-luminosity (lower 56 Ni mass) SNe is discussed.

show abstract

“…This energy release leads to the formation of a central convective zone and a carbon "simmering" phase which lasts for thousands of years (e.g., Piro & Chang 2008). As the temperature continues to increase, the burning becomes dynamical; this results in the birth of a deflagration and subsequently the explosion of the WD (e.g., Woosley et al 2004;Malone et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Carbon Simmering Phase: Reaction Rates, Mixing, and the Convective Urca Process

Schwab

Martínez-Rodríguez

Piro

et al. 2017

ApJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The neutron excess at the time of explosion provides a powerful discriminant among models of Type Ia supernovae. Recent calculations of the carbon simmering phase in single degenerate progenitors have disagreed about the final neutron excess. We find that the treatment of mixing in convection zones likely contributes to the difference. We demonstrate that in MESA models, heating from exothermic weak reactions plays a significant role in raising the temperature of the WD. This emphasizes the important role that the convective Urca process plays during simmering. We briefly summarize the shortcomings of current models during this phase. Ultimately, we do not pinpoint the difference between the results reported in the literature, but show that the results are consistent with different net energetics of the convective Urca process. This problem serves as an important motivation for the development of models of the convective Urca process suitable for incorporation into stellar evolution codes.

show abstract

Carbon Ignition in Type Ia Supernovae: An Analytic Model

Cited by 148 publications

References 37 publications

Type Ia supernovae and the¹²C+¹²C reaction rate

Type Ia supernovae and the¹²C+¹²C reaction rate

STUDY OF THE DETONATION PHASE IN THE GRAVITATIONALLY CONFINED DETONATION MODEL OF TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE

Exploring the Carbon Simmering Phase: Reaction Rates, Mixing, and the Convective Urca Process

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Carbon Ignition in Type Ia Supernovae: An Analytic Model

Cited by 148 publications

References 37 publications

Type Ia supernovae and the12C+12C reaction rate

Type Ia supernovae and the12C+12C reaction rate

STUDY OF THE DETONATION PHASE IN THE GRAVITATIONALLY CONFINED DETONATION MODEL OF TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE

Exploring the Carbon Simmering Phase: Reaction Rates, Mixing, and the Convective Urca Process

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Type Ia supernovae and the¹²C+¹²C reaction rate

Type Ia supernovae and the¹²C+¹²C reaction rate