Ia型超新星的爆发机制及其前身星模型

The Explosion Models and Progenitors of Type la Supernovae

Ia型超新星作为测量遥远星系距离——从而测定宇宙膨胀速率——的“标准烛光”,已经成为宇宙学中具有重要意义的天体。从某些方面来讲,Ia型超新星仍属于神秘天体(或爆发事件),其前身星及爆发模型还没有得到很好的理解,当前的观测不足以对理论模型作出精确的限制。然而有很好的理由相信大多数Ia型超新星可能是由接近钱德拉塞卡质量极限(≈1.39 M_⊙)的碳-氧白矮星通过聚变中心的碳和氧所引发的热核爆炸产生的。至于这一爆发通过何种机制完成,例如具体到Ia型超新星爆发时的流体动力学过程,仍存在分歧。最近爆燃阶段的三维数值模拟结果似乎表明,在Ia型超新星爆发晚期引入爆轰机制是没有必要的。另一方面,尽管当前的多数证据表明,C-O白矮星+主序星(或红巨星)的演化模式比C-O白矮星+C-O白矮星的演化模式可能更合理,但双简并白矮星的前身星模型并不能被排除,因为它们能解释一些特殊的Ia型超新星爆发。

Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) are more significant as standard candles in the extragalactic distance measurement——and hence in the determination of the expansion rate of the universe. SNe Ia are enigmatic objects in many aspects, and their progenitors and explosion mechanisms have not been understood well. At present the observations are not strong enough to provide precise constraints on the theoretical models, but we believe that most SNe Ia are formed by the explosion due to the thermonuclear fusion of carbon and oxygen in white dwarfs that have mass close to the chandrasekhar mass (≈1.39 M⊙). The mechanism, which is used to explain the explosion, especially how the hydrodynamical process occurs, is still an open question. However, recent results from three-dimensional numerical simulations of thermonuclear deflagration would show that it was not necessary to include the detonation in the late phase of the burning. On the other hand, although the progenitor model of a white dwarf with a main sequence (or red giant) companion seems to be more reasonable, the model of merge of two white dwarfs cannot be ruled out as the latter might account for some peculiar SNe Ia.