Paper detail

The progenitor of a type Ia supernova with a short delay time?

HD49798/RXJ0648.0-4418 is the only known X-ray binary composed of a hot subdwarf and a massive white dwarf (M=1.28+/-0.05 Msun). This system, with an orbital period of 1.55 days, is the outcome of a common envelope evolution, most likely of a pair of stars with initial masses of about 8-10 Msun. When the hot subdwarf, currently in a He-burning phase, will expand again and fill its Roche-lobe, the enhanced mass transfer can rapidly bring the already massive white dwarf above the Chandrasekhar limit. The possible final fate, either a Type Ia supernova explosion or an accretion induced collapse, is particularly interesting in view of the high rotational velocity of this star, which has the shortest spin period (13 s) observed in a white dwarf.