Discovery of an Exceptionally Strong ß-Decay Transition of

A significant fraction of stars between 7 and 11 solar masses are thought to become supernovae, but the explosion mechanism is unclear. The answer depends critically on the rate of electron capture on ^{20}Ne in the degenerate oxygen-neon stellar core. However, because of the unknown strength of the transition between the ground states of ^{20}Ne and ^{20}F, it has not previously been possible to fully constrain the rate. By measuring the transition, we establish that its strength is exceptionally large and that it enhances the capture rate by several orders of magnitude. This has a decisive impact on the evolution of the core, increasing the likelihood that the star is (partially) disrupted by a thermonuclear explosion rather than collapsing to form a neutron star. Importantly, our measurement resolves the last remaining nuclear physics uncertainty in the final evolution of degenerate oxygen-neon stellar cores, allowing future studies to address the critical role of convection, which at present is poorly understood.

An asymmetric explosion as the origin of spectral evolution diversity in type Ia supernovae.

Type Ia supernovae form an observationally uniform class of stellar explosions, in that more luminous objects have smaller decline-rates. This one-parameter behaviour allows type Ia supernovae to be calibrated as cosmological 'standard candles', and led to the discovery of an accelerating Universe. Recent investigations, however, have revealed that the true nature of type Ia supernovae is more complicated. Theoretically, it has been suggested that the initial thermonuclear sparks are ignited at an offset from the centre of the white-dwarf progenitor, possibly as a result of convection before the explosion. Observationally, the diversity seen in the spectral evolution of type Ia supernovae beyond the luminosity-decline-rate relation is an unresolved issue. Here we report that the spectral diversity is a consequence of random directions from which an asymmetric explosion is viewed. Our findings suggest that the spectral evolution diversity is no longer a concern when using type Ia supernovae as cosmological standard candles. Furthermore, this indicates that ignition at an offset from the centre is a generic feature of type Ia supernovae.

The diversity of type Ia supernovae from broken symmetries.

Type Ia supernovae result when carbon-oxygen white dwarfs in binary systems accrete mass from companion stars, reach a critical mass and explode. The near uniformity of their light curves makes these supernovae good 'standard candles' for measuring cosmic expansion, but a correction must be applied to account for the fact that the brighter ones have broader light curves. One-dimensional modelling, with a certain choice of parameters, can reproduce this general trend in the width-luminosity relation; but the processes of ignition and detonation have recently been shown to be intrinsically asymmetric, so parameterization must have its limits. Here we report multi-dimensional modelling of the explosion physics and radiative transfer, which reveals that the breaking of spherical symmetry is a critical factor in determining both the width-luminosity relation and the observed scatter about it. The deviation from spherical symmetry can also explain the finite polarization detected in the light from some supernovae. The slope and normalization of the width-luminosity relation has a weak dependence on certain properties of the white dwarf progenitor, in particular the trace abundances of elements other than carbon and oxygen. Failing to correct for this effect could lead to systematic overestimates of up to 2 per cent in the distance to remote supernovae.