No Arabic abstract
The lines-of-sight to highly reddened SNe Ia show peculiar continuum polarization curves, growing toward blue wavelengths and peaking at $lambda_{max} lesssim 0.4 mu m$, like no other sight line to any normal Galactic star. We examined continuum polarization measurements of a sample of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and post-AGB stars from the literature, finding that some PPNe have polarization curves similar to those observed along SNe Ia sight lines. Those polarization curves are produced by scattering on circumstellar dust. We discuss the similarity and the possibility that at least some SNe Ia might explode during the post-AGB phase of their binary companion. Furthermore, we speculate that the peculiar SNe Ia polarization curves might provide observational support to the core-degenerate progenitor model.
Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are manifestations of stars deficient of hydrogen and helium disrupting in a thermonuclear runaway. While explosions of carbon-oxygen white dwarfs are thought to account for the majority of events, part of the observed diversity may be due to varied progenitor channels. We demonstrate that helium stars with masses between $sim$1.8 and 2.5 M$_{odot}$ may evolve into highly degenerate, near-Chandrasekhar mass cores with helium-free envelopes that subsequently ignite carbon and oxygen explosively at densities $sim(1.8-5.9)times 10^{9}$g cm$^{-3}$. This happens either due to core growth from shell burning (when the core has a hybrid CO/NeO composition), or following ignition of residual carbon triggered by exothermic electron captures on $^{24}$Mg (for a NeOMg-dominated composition). We argue that the resulting thermonuclear runaways is likely to prevent core collapse, leading to the complete disruption of the star. The available nuclear energy at the onset of explosive oxygen burning suffices to create ejecta with a kinetic energy of $sim$10$^{51}$ erg, as in typical SNe Ia. Conversely, if these runaways result in partial disruptions, the corresponding transients would resemble SN Iax events similar to SN 2002cx. If helium stars in this mass range indeed explode as SNe Ia, then the frequency of events would be comparable to the observed SN Ib/c rates, thereby sufficing to account for the majority of SNe Ia in star-forming galaxies.
We review all the models proposed for the progenitor systems of Type Ia supernovae and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each scenario when confronted with observations. We show that all scenarios encounter at least a few serious diffculties, if taken to represent a comprehensive model for the progenitors of all Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). Consequently, we tentatively conclude that there is probably more than one channel leading SNe Ia. While the single-degenerate scenario (in which a single white dwarf accretes mass from a normal stellar companion) has been studied in some detail, the other scenarios will need a similar level of scrutiny before any firm conclusions can be drawn.
We compute successfully the launching of two magnetic winds from two circumbinary disks formed after a common envelope event. The launching is produced by the increase of magnetic pressure due to the collapse of the disks. The collapse is due to internal torques produced by a weak poloidal magnetic field. The first wind can be described as a wide jet, with an average mass-loss rate of $sim 1.3 times 10^{-7}$ Moy and a maximum radial velocity of $sim 230$ kms. The outflow has a half-opening angle of $sim 20^{circ}$. Narrow jets are also formed intermittently with velocities up to 3,000 kms, with mass-loss rates of $sim 6 times 10^{-12} $ Moy during short periods of time. The second wind can be described as a wide X-wind, with an average mass-loss rate of $sim 1.68 times 10^{-7}$ Moy and a velocity of $sim 30$ kms. A narrow jet is also formed with a velocity of 250 kms, and a mass-loss rates of $sim 10^{-12} $ Moy. The computed jets are used to provide inflow boundary conditions for simulations of proto-planetary nebulae. The wide jet evolves into a molecular collimated outflow within a few astronomical units, producing proto-planetary nebulae with bipolar, elongated shapes, whose kinetic energies reach $sim 4 times 10^{45}$ erg at 1,000 years. Similarities with observed features in W43A, OH231.8+4.2, and Hen 3-1475 are discussed. The computed wide X-wind produces proto-planetary nebulae with slower expansion velocities, with bipolar and elliptical shapes, and possible starfish type and quadrupolar morphology.
We present optical and X-ray observations of two tidally distorted, extremely low-mass white dwarfs (WDs) with massive companions. There is no evidence of neutron stars in our Chandra and XMM observations of these objects. SDSS J075141.18$-$014120.9 (J0751) is an eclipsing double WD binary containing a 0.19 Msol WD with a 0.97 Msol companion in a 1.9 h orbit. J0751 becomes the fifth eclipsing double WD system currently known. SDSS J174140.49+652638.7 (J1741) is another binary containing a 0.17 Msol WD with an unseen M > 1.11 Msol WD companion in a 1.5 h orbit. With a mass ratio of ~0.1, J1741 will have stable mass transfer through an accretion disk and turn into an interacting AM Canum Venaticorum (AM CVn) system in the next ~160 Myr. With a mass ratio of 0.2, J0751 is likely to follow a similar evolutionary path. These are the first known AM CVn progenitor binary systems and they provide important constraints on the initial conditions for AM CVn. Theoretical studies suggest that both J0751 and J1741 may create thermonuclear supernovae in ~10^8 yr, either .Ia or Ia. Such explosions can account for ~1% of the Type Ia supernova rate.
We present kinematic data for 211 bright planetary nebulae in eleven Local Group galaxies: M31 (137 PNe), M32 (13), M33 (33), Fornax (1), Sagittarius (3), NGC 147 (2), NGC 185 (5), NGC 205 (9), NGC 6822 (5), Leo A (1), and Sextans A (1). The data were acquired at the Observatorio Astronomico Nacional in the Sierra de San Pedro Martir using the 2.1m telescope and the Manchester Echelle Spectrometer in the light of [ion{O}{3}]$lambda$5007 at a resolution of 11 km/s. A few objects were observed in H$alpha$. The internal kinematics of bright planetary nebulae do not depend strongly upon the metallicity or age of their progenitor stellar populations, though small systematic differences exist. The nebular kinematics and H$beta$ luminosity require that the nebular shells be accelerated during the early evolution of their central stars. Thus, kinematics provides an additional argument favoring similar stellar progenitors for bright planetary nebulae in all galaxies.