Exploding stars: the gamma-ray signature of type Ia supernovae

Abstract

Type Ia supenovae are commonly thought to be the outcome of the thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf in a binary system. Nevertheless, there is no agreement on the scenarios (double degenerates, symbiotics stars ...) able to produce such events nor on the mechanisms responsible of such explosions (central ignition of a carbon-oxygen mixture, off-center detonation of He...). In this paper we review the present status of the problem and we show, in the context of a CO central ignition, how γ-ray astronomy can provide useful constraints to the theoretical models.