Three-dimensional Structure of Incomplete Carbon–Oxygen Detonations in Type Ia Supernovae

Carbon–oxygen (CO) detonation with reactions terminating either after burning of ^12 C in the leading ^12 C +  ^12 C reaction or after burning of ^12 C and ^16 O to Si-group elements may occur in the low-density outer layers of exploding white dwarfs and be responsible for the production of intermed...

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Main Authors: A. Khokhlov, I. Domínguez, A. Y. Chtchelkanova, P. Hoeflich, E. Baron, K. Krisciunas, M. Phillips, N. Suntzeff, L. Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adb0c1
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Summary:Carbon–oxygen (CO) detonation with reactions terminating either after burning of ^12 C in the leading ^12 C +  ^12 C reaction or after burning of ^12 C and ^16 O to Si-group elements may occur in the low-density outer layers of exploding white dwarfs and be responsible for the production of intermediate-mass elements observed in the outer layers of Type Ia supernovae. Basic one-dimensional properties of CO-detonations have been summarized in our previous work. This paper presents the results of two- and three-dimensional numerical simulations of low-density CO-detonations and discusses their multidimensional stability, cellular structure, and propagation through a constant low-density background. We find three-dimensional CO detonations to be strikingly different from their one-dimensional and two-dimensional counterparts. Three-dimensional detonations are significantly more robust and capable of propagating without decay compared to highly unstable and marginal one- and two-dimensional detonations. The detonation cell size and whether burning of ^12 C in a three-dimensional detonation wave is followed by the subsequent ^16 O burning are sensitive to both the background density and the initial ^12 C to ^16 O mass ratio. We also discuss the possible implications for understanding the observed early-time bumps in light curves.
ISSN:1538-4357