Abstract
Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) are powerful stellar explosions that provide important distance indicators in cosmology. Recently, we proposed a new SN Ia mechanism that involves a nuclear fission chain reaction in an isolated white dwarf (WD). The first solids that form as a WD starts to freeze are actinide rich and potentially support a fission chain reaction. In this Letter, we explore thermonuclear ignition from fission heating. We perform thermal diffusion simulations and find at high densities, above about 7 × 108 g cm−3, that fission heating can ignite carbon burning. This could produce an SN Ia or another kind of astrophysical transient.
Original language | English |
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Article number | L2 |
Journal | Astrophysical Journal Letters |
Volume | 935 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Aug 2022 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.