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There are a variety of white dwarfs with various compositions, and analysing how they detonate in a supernova (or not) is an topic under investigation. A simple model, described in "http"https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/12845/how-is-the-first-detonation-in-supernove-type-ia-triggered/12848" is of a helium shell initially igniting and that setting off the carbon in the core.

In this type of Type 1a supernova there is no neutron star formed, as the star is completely destroyed. The mass at which a white dwarf will undergo a type 1a supernova is just below the chandrasekhar limit, so neutronisation won't occur.

However in some white dwarfs with an atypical composition (as you note a Mg-Ne-O white dwarf) it is possible for the star to avoid detonation, and reach the chandrasekhar limit, and so for electron capture to occur, and a neutron star to form. It is worth noting that there is not definite observation of a white dwarf collapsing to a neutron star (where as there a lots of observations of type 1a supernovae) however these "accretion induced collapse" scenarios may explain some magnetars and short gamma ray burst

Progenitors of the Accretion-Induced Collapse

So the two scenarios are,

  1. Accretion occurs onto a Carbon-oxygen WD. The pressure and temperature in the core of a white dwarf increases until thermonuclear reactions begin (at about 1.38 solar masses). Since the white dwarf is degenerate it can't expand to reduce the rate of thermonuclear reactions, and the entire star detonates and is destroyed.
  2. Accretion occurs onto a ONeMg WD. The star reaches 1.44 solar masses, electron degeneracy is no longer sufficient to prevent collapse. Electron capture occurs and the star collapses to neutron star.

There are a variety of white dwarfs with various compositions, and analysing how they detonate in a supernova (or not) is an topic under investigation. A simple model, described in "http://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/12845/how-is-the-first-detonation-in-supernove-type-ia-triggered/12848" is of a helium shell initially igniting and that setting off the carbon in the core.

In this type of Type 1a supernova there is no neutron star formed, as the star is completely destroyed. The mass at which a white dwarf will undergo a type 1a supernova is just below the chandrasekhar limit, so neutronisation won't occur.

However in some white dwarfs with an atypical composition (as you note a Mg-Ne-O white dwarf) it is possible for the star to avoid detonation, and reach the chandrasekhar limit, and so for electron capture to occur, and a neutron star to form. It is worth noting that there is not definite observation of a white dwarf collapsing to a neutron star (where as there a lots of observations of type 1a supernovae) however these "accretion induced collapse" scenarios may explain some magnetars and short gamma ray burst

Progenitors of the Accretion-Induced Collapse

So the two scenarios are,

  1. Accretion occurs onto a Carbon-oxygen WD. The pressure and temperature in the core of a white dwarf increases until thermonuclear reactions begin (at about 1.38 solar masses). Since the white dwarf is degenerate it can't expand to reduce the rate of thermonuclear reactions, and the entire star detonates and is destroyed.
  2. Accretion occurs onto a ONeMg WD. The star reaches 1.44 solar masses, electron degeneracy is no longer sufficient to prevent collapse. Electron capture occurs and the star collapses to neutron star.

There are a variety of white dwarfs with various compositions, and analysing how they detonate in a supernova (or not) is an topic under investigation. A simple model, described in "https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/12845/how-is-the-first-detonation-in-supernove-type-ia-triggered/12848" is of a helium shell initially igniting and that setting off the carbon in the core.

In this type of Type 1a supernova there is no neutron star formed, as the star is completely destroyed. The mass at which a white dwarf will undergo a type 1a supernova is just below the chandrasekhar limit, so neutronisation won't occur.

However in some white dwarfs with an atypical composition (as you note a Mg-Ne-O white dwarf) it is possible for the star to avoid detonation, and reach the chandrasekhar limit, and so for electron capture to occur, and a neutron star to form. It is worth noting that there is not definite observation of a white dwarf collapsing to a neutron star (where as there a lots of observations of type 1a supernovae) however these "accretion induced collapse" scenarios may explain some magnetars and short gamma ray burst

Progenitors of the Accretion-Induced Collapse

So the two scenarios are,

  1. Accretion occurs onto a Carbon-oxygen WD. The pressure and temperature in the core of a white dwarf increases until thermonuclear reactions begin (at about 1.38 solar masses). Since the white dwarf is degenerate it can't expand to reduce the rate of thermonuclear reactions, and the entire star detonates and is destroyed.
  2. Accretion occurs onto a ONeMg WD. The star reaches 1.44 solar masses, electron degeneracy is no longer sufficient to prevent collapse. Electron capture occurs and the star collapses to neutron star.
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James K
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There are a variety of white dwarfs with various compositions, and analysing how they detonate in a supernova (or not) is an topic under investigation. A simple model, described in "http://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/12845/how-is-the-first-detonation-in-supernove-type-ia-triggered/12848" is of a helium shell initially igniting and that setting off the carbon in the core.

In this type of Type 1a supernova there is no neutron star formed, as the star is completely destroyed. The mass at which a white dwarf will undergo a type 1a supernova is just below the chandrasekhar limit, so neutronisation won't occur.

However in some white dwarfs with an atypical composition (as you note a Mg-Ne-O white dwarf) it is possible for the star to avoid detonation, and reach the chandrasekhar limit, and so for electron capture to occur, and a neutron star to form. It is worth noting that there is not definite observation of a white dwarf collapsing to a neutron star (where as there a lots of observations of type 1a supernovae) however these "accretion induced collapse" scenarios may explain some magnetars and short gamma ray burst

Progenitors of the Accretion-Induced Collapse

So the two scenarios are,

  1. Accretion occurs onto a Carbon-oxygen WD. The pressure and temperature in the core of a white dwarf increases until thermonuclear reactions begin (at about 1.38 solar masses). Since the white dwarf is degenerate it can't expand to reduce the rate of thermonuclear reactions, and the entire star detonates and is destroyed.
  2. Accretion occurs onto a ONeMg WD. The star reaches 1.44 solar masses, electron degeneracy is no longer sufficient to prevent collapse. Electron capture occurs and the star collapses to neutron star.