NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
A Chandrasekhar Mass Progenitor for the Type Ia Supernova Remnant 3C 397 from the Enhanced Abundances of Nickel and ManganeseDespite decades of intense efforts, many fundamental aspects of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) remain elusive. One of the major open questions is whether the mass of an exploding white dwarf (WD) is close to the Chandrasekhar limit. Here, we report the detection of strong K-shell emission from stable Fe-peak elements in the Suzaku X-ray spectrum of the Type Ia supernova remnant (SNR) 3C 397. The high Ni/Fe and Mn/Fe mass ratios - (0.11-0.24 and 0.018-0.033, respectively) in the hot plasma component that dominates the K-shell emission lines indicate a degree of neutronization in the supernova ejecta that can only be achieved by electron capture in the dense cores of exploding WDs with a near-Chandrasekhar mass. This suggests a single-degenerate origin for 3C 397, since Chandrasekhar mass progenitors are expected naturally if the WD accretes mass slowly from a companion. Together with other results supporting the double-degenerate scenario, our work adds to the mounting evidence that both progenitor channels make a significant contribution to the SN Ia rate in star-forming galaxies.
Document ID
20180002860
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Yamaguchi, Hiroya
(Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Badenes, Carles
(Pittsburgh Univ. Pittsburgh, PA, United States)
Foster, Adam R.
(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Cambridge, MA, United States)
Bravo, Eduardo
(Universidad Politecnica de Catalunya Catalunya, Spain)
Williams, Brian J.
(Universities Space Research Association Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Maeda, Keiichi
(Kyoto Univ. Japan)
Nobukawa, Masayoshi
(Kyoto Univ. Japan)
Eriksen, Kristoffer A.
(Los Alamos National Lab. NM, United States)
Brickhouse, Nancy S.
(Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Cambridge, MA, United States)
Petre, Robert
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Koyama, Katsuji
(Kyoto Univ. Japan)
Date Acquired
May 16, 2018
Publication Date
March 12, 2015
Publication Information
Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Publisher: The American Astronomical Society
Volume: 831
Issue: 2
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN25960
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG06EO90A
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
G41.1-0.3); supernova remnants; nuclear reactions; nucleosynthesis; abundances;
atomic data - infrared; ISM; individual objects (3C 397, X-rays

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available