CLUES TO TYPE IA SN PROGENITORS FROM DEGENERATE CARBON IGNITION MODELS

A partially cooled 0.8 M. C-O dwarf has been made accrete C + O at sev eral accretion rates. The computed models cover the full range of poss ible thermal behaviours found in accreting white dwarfs. Among the mod els lying in the range of accretion rates for which it occurs a centra l carbon ignition, one has been followed in detail also along the phas e between central carbon ignition and the moment in which hydrostatic equilibrium is broken. The following dynamical evolution has been comp uted with a 1D hydrocode which includes a detailed computation of the synthesized elements. The bolometric light curves have also been produ ced. The results show that the computed models differ, in the light cu rves and in the relative abundance of the synthesized elements, by amo unts that are compatible with the unhomogeneity which growing observat ional evidences suggest as existing in Type Ia Supernova events.