ITC Seminar - Abigail Polin (Berkeley)

Date: 

Tuesday, December 3, 2019, 12:00pm to 1:00pm

Location: 

Phillips
Modeling Sub-Chandrasekhar Mass White Dwarf Explosions as Type Ia Supernovae
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> Abstract:
> Type Ia supernovae are some of the most common cosmic transients, yet their progenitors are still not known. I will discuss my thesis research on a specific pathway to these explosions, known as the double detonation scenario.  I will first describe the hydrodynamic techniques I use to simulate these explosions and to calculate the composition of the outflow.  I will also describe the radiation transport methods I use to translate the hydrodynamical output into synthetic light curves and spectra.  Using these methods, I have calculated some distinct observational signatures that should be exhibited by any double detonation explosion in both the photospheric and nebular phase.  I will discuss the populations of SNe Type Ia which are consistent with these features. Lastly, I will present the first observed supernova, SN2018byg, that exhibits some "smoking gun" signatures I predicted, and which therefore strongly supports the idea that some Ia's are triggered by double detonations.
See also: Seminars, 2019 - 20