Prospects of the Multi-channel Photometric Survey Telescope in the Cosmological Application of Type Ia Supernovae

The Multi-channel Photometric Survey Telescope(Mephisto)is a real-time,three-color photometric system designed to capture the color evolution of stars and transients accurately.This telescope system can be crucial in cosmological distance measurements of low-redshift(low-z,z■0.1)Type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia).To optimize the capabilities of this instrument,we perform a comprehensive simulation study before its official operation is scheduled to start.By considering the impact of atmospheric extinction,weather conditions,and the lunar phase at the observing site involving the instrumental features,we simulate light curves of SNe Ia obtained by Mephisto.The best strategy in the case of SN Ia cosmology is to take the image at an exposure time of 130 s with a cadence of 3 days.In this condition,Mephisto can obtain hundreds of high-quality SNe Ia to achieve a distance measurement better than 4.5%.Given the on-time spectral classification and monitoring of the Lijiang 2.4 m Telescope at the same observatory,Mephisto,in the whole operation,can significantly enrich the well-calibrated sample of supernovae at low-z and improve the calibration accuracy of high-z SNe Ia.

The Progenitors of Type Ia Supernovae with Asymptotic Giant Branch Donors

TypeⅠa supernovae(SNe Ia)are among the most energetic events in the universe.They are excellent cosmological distance indicators due to the remarkable homogeneity of their light curves.However,the nature of the progenitors of SNeⅠa is still not well understood.In the single-degenerate model,a carbon-oxygen white dwarf(CO WD)could grow its mass by accreting material from an asymptotic giant branch(AGB)star,leading to the formation of SNe Ia when the mass of the WD approaches to the Chandrasekhar-mass limit,known as the AGB donor channel.In this channel,previous studies mainly concentrate on the wind-accretion pathway for the mass-increase of the WDs.In the present work,we employed an integrated mass-transfer prescription for the semidetached WD+AGB systems,and evolved a number of WD+AGB systems for the formation of SNe Ia through the Roche-lobe overflow process or the wind-accretion process.We provided the initial and final parameter spaces of WD+AGB systems for producing SNe Ia.We also obtained the density distribution of circumstellar matter at the moment when the WD mass reaches the Chandrasekhar-mass limit.Moreover,we found that the massive WD+AGB sample AT 2019qyl can be covered by the final parameter space for producing SNe Ia,indicating that AT 2019qyl is a strong progenitor candidate of SNe Ia with AGB donors.

The Energy Sources and the Explosion Mechanism of Ca-rich Supernova PTF 10iuv

In this paper,we perform the detailed modeling for the light curves(LCs)of PTF 10iuv which is a calcium-rich(Ca-rich)supernova(SN)to constrain the physical properties of its ejecta and the energy sources,as well as the explosion mechanism.We find that the^(56)Ni model and the56Ni plus circumstellar interaction model fail to explain the LCs,while the four-element(^(56)Ni,^(48)Cr,^(52)Fe,and^(44)Ti)model can account for the LCs.The ejecta mass of PTF10iuv derived by the model(1.52_(-0.25)^(+0.34)M_(⊙))is consistent with that of the merger of a sub-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarf.The early-time LCs were mainly powered by^(56)Ni whose mass is~0.03 M_(⊙),while the contributions of^(48)Cr and^(52)Fe can be neglected.The derived^(44)Ti mass(~0.25 M_(⊙))is~1.8 times the upper limit of the derived^(44)Ti mass of Ca-rich SN 2005E.We suggest that subtracting the contributions of the host-galaxy,which are unknown,and including the flux from other long-lived elements(e.g.,^(57)Co,^(55)Fe,^(60)Co)can reduce the amount of^(44)Ti,and that this value can be regarded as an upper limit.

Point-symmetry in SNR G1.9+0.3:A Supernova that Destroyed its Planetary Nebula Progenitor

I analyze a new X-ray image of the youngest supernova remnant(SNR)in the Galaxy,which is the type Ia SNR G1.9+0.3,and reveal a very clear point-symmetrical structure.Since explosion models of type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia)do not form such morphologies,the point-symmetrical morphology must come from the circumstellar material(CSM)into which the ejecta expands.The large-scale point-symmetry that I identify and the known substantial deceleration of the ejecta of SNR G1.9+0.3 suggest a relatively massive CSM of■1M⊙.I argue that the most likely explanation is the explosion of this SN Ia into a planetary nebula.The scenario that predicts a large fraction of SN Ia inside PNe(SNIPs)is the core degenerate scenario.Other SN Ia scenarios might lead to only a very small fraction of SNIPs or none at all.

A Check on the Cardassian Expansion Model with Type-la Supernovae Data

We use the magnitude-redshift relation for the type Ia supernova datacompiled by Riess et al. to analyze the Cardassian expansion scenario. This scenario assumes theuniverse to be flat, matter dominated, and accelerating, but contains no vacuum contribution. Thebest fitting model parameters are H_0 = 65.3 km s^(-1) Mpc^(-1), n = 0.35 and Ω_m = 0.05. When thehighest redshift supernova, SN 1997ck, is excluded, H_0 remains the same, but n becomes 0.20 andΩ_m, 0.15, and the matter density remains unreasonably low. Our result shows that this particularscenario is strongly disfavoured by the SNeIa data.

Energy Conservation in the Thin Layer Approximation: I. The Spherical Classic Case for Supernovae Remnants

The thin layer approximation applied to the expansion of a supernova remnant assumes that all the swept mass resides in a thin shell. The law of motion in the thin layer approximation is therefore found using the conservation of momentum. Here we instead introduce the conservation of energy in the framework of the thin layer approximation. The first case to be analysed is that of an interstellar medium with constant density and the second case is that of 7 profiles of decreasing density with respect to the centre of the explosion. The analytical and numerical results are applied to 4 supernova remnants: Tycho, Cas A, Cygnus loop, and SN 1006. The back reaction due to the radiative losses for the law of motion is evaluated in the case of constant density of the interstellar medium.

Energy Conservation in the Thin Layer Approximation: III. The Spherical Relativistic Case for Supernovae

The theory of the conservation of energy in the thin layer approximation has been extended to special relativity. Four models for the density of the circumstellar medium are analyzed, which are represented by constant, power law, exponential and Emden (n = 5) profile for density. The astrophysical results are presented in a numerical way, except for a Taylor expansion of the four trajectories in the surrounding of the origin. The free parameters of the models are particularized for SN1993j, for which the radius versus time is known. Some evaluations on the time dilation are presented.

Energy Conservation in the Thin Layer Approximation: IV. The Light Curve for Supernovae

The light curves (LC) for Supernova (SN) can be modeled adopting the conversion of the flux of kinetic energy into radiation. This conversion requires an analytical or a numerical law of motion for the expanding radius of the SN. In the framework of conservation of energy for the thin layer approximation, we present a classical trajectory based on a power law profile for the density, a relativistic trajectory based on the Navarro-Frenk-White profile for the density, and a relativistic trajectory based on a power law behaviour for the swept mass. A detailed simulation of the LC requires the evaluation of the optical depth as a function of time. We modeled the LC of SN 1993J in different astronomical bands, the LC of GRB 050814 and the LC GRB 060729 in the keV region. The time dependence of the magnetic field of equipartition is derived from the theoretical formula for the luminosity.

Late-time photometry of two nearby type II-P supernovae: 2004dj and 2004et

We present late-time photometry for two bright type II-P supernovae （SNe） 2004dj and 2004et, extending over 400 d after the explosion, which are measured with a set of intermediate-band filters that have the advantage of tracing the strength variations of some spectral features. Although these two SNe II-P exhibit similar photometric evolution at earlier times, they diverge during the nebular phase. SN 2004dj shows a slow late-time decline rate with - 0.7 ±0.1 mag （100d）^-1 during the period ranging from t ≈ 200 - 300 d after the explosion, while SN 2004et shows a much faster decline rate at a comparable phase, e.g., 1.3 ± 0.1 mag （100d）^-1. The steeper decay rate seen in SN 2004et is likely due to dust formation in the explosion ejecta. Based on intermediate-band photometry, we derived the evolution of the feature lines [e.g., Hα] of SNe 2004dj and 2004et which are similar in flux at comparable phases but perhaps with significantly different decay rates. The origin of the observed variations in the continuum and the feature lines is briefly discussed.

The C/O ratio of He-accreting carbon-oxygen white dwarfs and type Ia supernovae

Type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia)are thermonuclear explosions of carbon-oxygen white dwarfs(CO WDs),and are believed to be excellent cosmological distance indicators due to their high luminosity and remarkable uniformity.However,there exists a diversity among SNe Ia,and a poor understanding of the diversity hampers the improvement of the accuracy of cosmological distance measurements.The variations of the ratios of carbon to oxygen(C/O)of WDs at explosion are suggested to contribute to the diversity.In the canonical model of SNe Ia,a CO WD accretes matter from its companion and increases its mass till the Chandrasekhar mass limit when the WD explodes.In this work,we studied the C/O ratio for accreting CO WDs.Employing the stellar evolution code MESA,we simulated the accretion of He-rich material onto CO WDs with different initial WD masses and different mass accretion rates.We found that the C/O ratio varies for different cases.The C/O ratio of He-accreting CO WDs at explosion increases with a decreasing initial WD mass or a decreasing accretion rate.The various C/O ratios may,therefore,contribute to the diversity of SNe Ia.

Boosting Jittering Jets by Neutrino Heating in Core Collapse Supernovae

I estimate the energy that neutrino heating adds to the outflow that jets induce in the collapsing core material in core collapse supernovae(CCSNe), and find that this energy crudely doubles the energy that the jets deposit into the outer core. I consider the jittering jets explosion mechanism where there are several stochastic jet-launching episodes, each lasting for about 0.01–0.1 s. The collapsing core material passes through the stalled shock at about100 km and then slowly flows onto the proto-neutron star(NS). I assume that the proto-NS launches jittering jets,and that the jets break out from the stalled shock. I examine the boosting process by which the high-pressure gas inside the stalled shock, the gain region material, expands alongside the jets and does work on the material that the jets shock, the cocoon. This work is crudely equal to the energy that the original jets carry. I argue that the coupling between instabilities, stochastic rotation, magnetic fields, and jittering jets leads to most CCSN explosions. In other cases, the pre-collapse core is rapidly rotating and therefore ordered rotation replaces stochastic rotation and fixed jets replace jittering jets.

A database of spectral energy distributions of progenitors of core-collapse supernovae

This paper presents a database of the spectroscopic-and photometric-spectral energy distributions(spec-SEDs and phot-SEDs respectively)of the progenitors of core-collapse supernovae(CCSNe).Both binary-and single-star progenitors are included in the database.The database covers the initial metallicity(Z)range of 0.0001-0.03,mass range of 8-25 M⊙,binary mass ratio range of 0-1,and orbital period range of 0.1-10000 d.The low-resolution spec-SEDs and phot-SEDs of single-and binary-star CCSN progenitors are included in the database.These data can be used for studying the basic parameters,e.g.,metallicity,age,and initial and final masses of CCSN progenitors.It can also be used for studying the effects of different factors on the determination of parameters of CCSN progenitors.When the database is utilized for fitting the SEDs of binary-star CCSN progenitors,it is strongly suggested to determine the metallicity and orbital period in advance,but this is not necessary for single-star progenitors.

Amplifying magnetic fields of a newly born neutron star by stochastic angular momentum accretion in core collapse supernovae

I present a novel mechanism to boost magnetic field amplification of newly born neutron stars in core collapse supernovae.In this mechanism,that operates in the jittering jets explosion mechanism and comes on top of the regular magnetic field amplification by turbulence,the accretion of stochastic angular momentum in core collapse supernovae forms a neutron star with strong initial magnetic fields but with a slow rotation.The varying angular momentum of the accreted gas,which is unique to the jittering jets explosion mechanism,exerts a varying azimuthal shear on the magnetic fields of the accreted mass near the surface of the neutron star.This,I argue,can form an amplifying effect which I term the stochastic omega(Sω) effect.In the common αω dynamo the rotation has constant direction and value,and hence supplies a constant azimuthal shear,while the convection has a stochastic behavior.In the Sω dynamo the stochastic angular momentum is different from turbulence in that it operates on a large scale,and it is different from a regular rotational shear in being stochastic.The basic assumption is that because of the varying direction of the angular momentum axis from one accretion episode to the next,the rotational flow of an accretion episode stretches the magnetic fields that were amplified in the previous episode.I estimate the amplification factor of the Sω dynamo alone to be ≈ 10.I speculate that the Sω effect accounts for a recent finding that many neutron stars are born with strong magnetic fields.

On the Rotation Properties of a Post-explosion Helium-star Companion in Type Iax Supernovae

Recent studies have suggested that type lax supernovae(SNe lax) are likely to result from a weak deflagration explosion of a Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf in a binary system with a helium(He)-star companion.Assuming that most SNe Iax are produced from this scenario,in this work we extend our previous work on the threedimensional hydrodynamical simulation of ejecta-companion interaction by taking the orbital and spin velocities of the progenitor system into account.We then follow the post-impact evolution of a surviving He-star companion by using the one-dimensional stellar evolution code MESA.We aim to investigate the post-explosion rotation properties of a He-star companion in SNe Iax.We find that the He-star companion spins down after the impact due to the angular-momentum loss and expansion caused by the mass-stripping and shock heating during the interaction.This leads to the situation where the surface rotational speed of the surviving companion can drop to one-third of its pre-explosion value when it expands to a maximum radius a few years after the impact.Subsequently,the star shrinks and spins up again once the deposited energy is released.This spin-switching feature of the surviving He-star companions of SNe Iax may be useful for the identification of such objects in future observations.

The Role of Jets in Exploding Supernovae and in Shaping their Remnants

I review studies of core collapse supernovae(CCSNe) and similar transient events that attribute major roles to jets in powering most CCSNe and in shaping their ejecta. I start with reviewing the jittering jets explosion mechanism that I take to power most CCSN explosions. Neutrino heating does play a role in boosting the jets. I compare the morphologies of some CCSN remnants to planetary nebulae to conclude that jets and instabilities are behind the shaping of their ejecta. I then discuss CCSNe that are descendants of rapidly rotating collapsing cores that result in fixed-axis jets(with small jittering) that shape bipolar ejecta. A large fraction of the bipolar CCSNe are superluminous supernovae(SLSNe). I conclude that modeling of SLSN light curves and bumps in the light curves must include jets, even when considering energetic magnetars and/or ejecta interaction with the circumstellar matter(CSM). I connect the properties of bipolar CCSNe to common envelope jets supernovae(CEJSNe) where an old neutron star or a black hole spirals-in inside the envelope and then inside the core of a red supergiant. I discuss how jets can shape the pre-explosion CSM, as in Supernova 1987A, and can power pre-explosion outbursts(precursors)in binary system progenitors of CCSNe and CEJSNe. Binary interaction also facilitates the launching of postexplosion jets.

Pre-explosion Helium Shell Flash in Type Ia Supernovae

I study the possibility that within the frame of the core degenerate(CD)scenario for type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia)the merger process of the core of the asymptotic giant branch(AGB)star and the white dwarf(WD)maintains an envelope mass of≈0.03 Mthat causes a later helium shell flash.I estimate the number of pre-explosion helium shell flash events to be less than a few per cent of all CD scenario SNe Ia.A helium shell flash while the star moves to the left on the HR diagram as a post-AGB star(late thermal pulse—LTP)or along the WD cooling track(very LTP—VLTP)causes the star to expand and become a“born again”AGB star.Merger remnants exploding while still on the AGB form hydrogen-polluted peculiar SNe Ia,while an explosion inside an inflated born-again star results in an early flux excess in the light curve of the SN Ia.The fraction of systems that might show an early flux excess due to LTP/VLTP is<few×10^(-4) of all SNe Ia,much below the observed fraction.In the frame of the CD scenario SNe Ia with early flux excess result from SN ejecta collision with planetary nebula fallback gas,or from mixing of ^(56) Ni to the outer regions of the SN ejecta.Ongoing sky surveys might find about one case per year where LTP/VLTP influences the SN light curve.

Common Envelope to Explosion Delay time Distribution(CEEDTD)of Type Ia Supernovae

I use recent observations of circumstellar matter(CSM)around type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia)to estimate the fraction of SNe Ia that explode into a planetary nebula(PN)and to suggest a new delay time distribution from the common envelope evolution(CEE)to the SN Ia explosion for SNe Ia that occur shortly after the CEE.Under the assumption that the CSM results from a CEE,I crudely estimate that about 50%of all SNe Ia are SNe Ia inside PNe(SNIPs),and that the explosions of most SNIPs occur within a CEE to explosion delay(CEED)time of less than about ten thousand years.I also estimate that the explosion rate of SNIPs,i.e.,the CEED time distribution,is roughly constant within this timescale of ten thousand years.The short CEED time suggests that a fraction of SNIPs come from the core-degenerate(CD)scenario where the merger of the core with the white dwarf takes place at the end of the CEE.I present my view that the majority of SNIPs come from the CD scenario.I list some further observations that might support or reject my claims,and describe the challenge to theoretical studies to find a process to explain a merger to explosion delay(MED)time of up to ten thousand years or so.A long MED will apply also to the double degenerate scenario.

A Study of Magnetized White Dwarf+Helium Star Binary Evolution to Type Ia Supernovae

The white dwarf(WD)+helium(He)star binary channel plays an important role in the single degenerate scenario for the progenitors of type Ia supernovae(SNe Ia).Previous studies on the WD+main sequence star evolution have shown that the magnetic fields of WDs may significantly influence their accretion and nuclear burning processes.In this work we focus on the evolution of magnetized WD+He star binaries with detailed stellar evolution and binary population synthesis(BPS)calculations.In the case of magnetized WDs,the magnetic fields may disrupt the inner regions of the accretion disk,funnel the accretion flow onto the polar caps and even confine helium burning within the caps.We find that,for WDs with sufficiently strong magnetic fields,the parameter space of the potential SN Ia progenitor systems shrinks toward shorter orbital periods and lower donor masses compared with that in the non-magnetized WD case.The reason is that the magnetic confinement usually works with relatively high mass transfer rates,which can trigger strong wind mass loss from the WD,thus limiting the He-rich mass accumulation efficiency.The surviving companion stars are likely of low-mass at the moment of the SN explosions,which can be regarded as a possible explanation for the non-detection of surviving companions after the SNe or inside the SN remnants.However,the corresponding birthrate of Galactic SNe Ia in our high-magnetic models is estimated to be~(0.08–0.13)×10^(-3)yr^(-1)(~0.17–0.28×10^(-3)yr^(-1)for the non-magnetic models),significantly lower than the observed Galactic SN Ia birthrate.

Quark-novae in neutron star - white dwarf binaries: a model for luminous (spin-down powered) sub-Chandrasekhar-mass Type Ia supernovae?

We show that, by appealing to a Quark-Nova （QN） in a tight binary system containing a massive neutron star and a CO white dwarf （WD）, a Type Ia explosion could occur. The QN ejecta collides with the WD, driving a shock that triggers carbon burning under degenerate conditions （the QN-Ia）. The conditions in the compressed low-mass WD （MwD 〈 0.9 M） in our model mimic those of a Chandrasekhar mass WD. The spin-down luminosity from the QN compact remnant （the quark star） pro- vides additional power that makes the QN-Ia light-curve brighter and broader than a standard SN-Ia with similar 56Ni yield. In QNe-Ia, photometry and spectroscopy are not necessarily linked since the kinetic energy of the ejecta has a contribution from spin-down power and nuclear decay. Although QNe-Ia may not obey the Phillips relationship, their brightness and their relatively ＂normal looking＂ light-curves mean they could be included in the cosmological sample. Light-curve fitters would be con- fused by the discrepancy between spectroscopy at peak and photometry and would correct for it by effectively brightening or dimming the QNe-Ia apparent magnitudes, thus over- or under-estimating the true magnitude of these spin-down powered SNe-Ia. Contamination of QNe-Ia in samples of SNe-Ia used for cosmological analyses could systematically bias measurements of cosmological parameters if QNe-Ia are numerous enough at high-redshift. The strong mixing induced by spin-down wind combined with the low 56Ni yields in QNe-Ia means that these would lack a secondary maximum in the/-band despite their luminous nature. We discuss possible QNe-Ia progenitors.

Dependence of low redshift Type Ia Supernovae luminosities on host galaxies

We study the relation between Type Ia Supernovae （SNe Ia） and properties of their host galaxies using a large sample with low redshift. By examining the Hubble residuals of the entire sample from the best-fit cosmology, we show that SNe Ia in passive hosts are brighter than those in star-forming hosts after light curve correction at the 2. 1σ confidence level. We find that SNe Ia in high luminosity hosts are brighter after light-curve correction at the 〉 3σ confidence level. We also find that SNe Ia in large galaxies are brighter after light-curve correction at the ≥2σ confidence level. We demonstrate that the residuals depend linearly on host luminosity at a confidence of 4or or host size at a confidence of 3.3σ.