Successive detonations in accreting white dwarfs as an alternative mechanism for type I supernovae

Eli Livne*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

219 Scopus citations

Abstract

Simulations of exploding helium shells in accreting white dwarfs show that the ingoing shock wave is strong enough to ignite the carbon at the center into an outgoing detonation wave. This mechanism provides a new way to form supernovae of Type Ia, not only in heavy white dwarfs approaching the Chandrasekhar mass, but in a much wider range of masses. Thus, many of the problems which arise in current models, such as deflagration versus detonation, may be solved as explosions of white dwarfs of lesser mass are considered.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)L53-L55
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume354
Issue number2 PART 2
DOIs
StatePublished - 10 May 1990

Keywords

  • Hydrodynamics
  • Nucleosynthesis
  • Stars: supernovae
  • Stars: white dwarfs

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