Explosion of fast spinning Sub-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarfs

Abstract

We study the explosion of rotating sub-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarfs using three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. High rotational speeds are assumed in order to significantly distort the initial spherical geometry of the white dwarf. Unlike spherically symmetric models, when He-ignition is located far from the spinning axis the detonation wave trains arrive asynchronously to the antipodes. Models considering different masses of the He-shell, He-ignition locations and rotational velocities are analyzed. We study independently both, the detonation of the He-shell, artificially avoiding carbon-ignition, and the complete detonation of the white dwarf. Our calculations support the viability of the Double Detonation mechanism when the white dwarf is spinning fast.