2005ApJ...629..750D -
Astrophys. J., 629, 750-756 (2005/August-3)
Why are radio galaxies prolific producers of type Ia supernovae?
DELLA VALLE M., PANAGIA N., PADOVANI P., CAPPELLARO E., MANNUCCI F. and TURATTO M.
Abstract (from CDS):
An analysis of SN Ia events in early-type galaxies from the database of Cappellaro and coworkers provides conclusive evidence that the rate of SNe Ia in radio-loud galaxies is about 4 times higher than the rate measured in radio-quiet galaxies, i.e., SN Ia rate(radio-loud galaxies)=0.43+0.19–0.14 h275SNu as compared to SN Ia rate(radio-quiet galaxies)=0.11+0.06–0.03 h275SNu. The actual value of the enhancement is likely to be in the range ∼2-7 (P∼10–4). This finding puts on robust empirical grounds the results obtained by Della Valle & Panagia on the basis of a smaller sample of SNe. We analyze the possible causes of this result and conclude that the enhancement of the SN Ia explosion rate in radio-loud galaxies has the same origin as their being strong radio sources, but there is no causal link between the two phenomena. We argue that repeated episodes of interaction and/or mergers of early-type galaxies with dwarf companions, on timescales of about 1 Gyr, are responsible for both inducing strong radio activity observed in ∼14% of early-type galaxies and supplying an adequate number of SN Ia progenitors to the stellar population of elliptical galaxies.
Abstract Copyright:
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Journal keyword(s):
Galaxies: Active - Stars: Supernovae: General
Simbad objects:
43
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