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Faint supernovae and hyper-runaway white-dwarfs from single He-detonation in double HeCO-white-dwarf mergers

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We present three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of mergers between low-mass hybrid HeCO white dwarfs (WDs), offering new insights into the diversity of thermonuclear transients. Unlike previously studied mergers involving higher-mass HeCO WDs and CO WDs, where helium detonation often triggers core ignition, our simulations reveal incomplete helium shell detonations in comparable-mass, lower-mass WD pairs. The result is a faint, rapidly evolving transient driven by the ejection of intermediate-mass elements and radioactive isotopes such as 48Cr and 52Fe, without significant 56Ni production. These transients may be detectable in upcoming wide-field surveys and could account for a subset of faint thermonuclear supernovae. Long-term evolution of the merger remnant shows that high-velocity PG-1159-type stars might be formed through this scenario, similar to normal CO-CO white dwarf mergers. This work expands our understanding of white dwarf mergers and their implications for nucleosynthesis and stellar evolution.

Original languageEnglish
Article number100711
JournalJournal of High Energy Astrophysics
Volume55
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2027

Keywords

  • (Stars:) binaries (including multiple): close
  • (Stars:) supernovae: general
  • Abundances
  • Hydrodynamics
  • Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD)
  • Nuclear reactions
  • Nucleosynthesis
  • Shock waves

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics

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