Supernova Origins Unveiled by Radio and Molecular Studies

Astronomers have discovered the origin of a thermonuclear supernova explosion, revealing that the exploding white dwarf star had a helium-rich companion that had lost much of its material just prior to the explosion. The discovery of supernova SN 2020eyj established the first radio detection of a Type Ia supernova, providing better understanding of explosions of white dwarfs as supernovae used for cosmological measurements. The research involved an international team of astronomers from institutes across the world.