Ia超新星(Type Ia supernova)是一种发生在聯星系统中的超新星,其中一颗恒星是白矮星,而另一颗恒星则大到巨星小到白矮星皆有可能[1]。白矮星是已完成其正常生命週期核融合反應的恆星殘骸。但是,一般最常見的碳-氧白矮星,如果它們的溫度上升得足夠高,仍有進行核融合反應,進一步釋放大量能量的能力。物理上,低自轉速率的碳-氧白矮星的質量會低於1.44M☉[2][3]。有點令人費解的是,儘管與電子簡併壓力無法阻擋災難性坍縮的錢德拉塞卡質量(Chandrasekhar mass)有所不同,這個限制通常被稱為錢德拉塞卡極限。如果一顆白矮星可以從其聯星系統的伴星逐漸吸積質量,一般假設當其接近此一質量極限時,核心將達到碳融合的點火溫度。如果白矮星與另一顆恆星合併(極為罕見的事件),它將在瞬間就超越了質量限制並開始坍縮,也會再次提升溫度超越核融合的燃點。在啟動核融合之後幾秒鐘,白矮星絕大部分的質量會經歷熱失控反應,釋放出極為巨大的能量(1–7044200000000000000♠2×1044J)[4],在超新星爆炸中解除恆星的束縛[5]。
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