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Circumstellar Material in Type Ia Supernovae via Sodium Absorption Features

TYPEAstrophysics Seminar
Speaker:Dr. Assaf Sternberg
Affiliation:Benoziyo Center for Astrophysics Weizmann Institute of Science
Date:07.12.2011
Time:14:30
Location:Lidow 620
Abstract:

Type Ia supernovae are key tools for measuring distances on a cosmic scale. They are generally thought to be the thermonuclear explosion of an accreting white dwarf in a close binary system. The nature of the mass donor is still uncertain. In the single-degenerate model it is a main-sequence star or an evolved star, whereas in the double-degenerate model it is another white dwarf. We show that the velocity structure of absorbing material along the line of sight to 35 type Ia supernovae tends to be blueshifted. These structures are likely signatures of gas outflows from the supernova progenitor systems. Thus many type Ia supernovae in nearby spiral galaxies may originate in single-degenerate systems.