Because they all involve the detonation of a carbon-rich white dwarf at Chandrasekhar's limit,all Type I supernovae are equally luminous.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Type I supernovae are all caused by the detonation of a carbon-rich white dwarf at Chandrasekhar's limit, which leads to a consistent amount of energy released in the explosion. Therefore, all Type I supernovae have similar luminosities. Type I supernovae all involve the detonation of a carbon-rich white dwarf at Chandrasekhar's limit, which produces a consistent amount of energy and therefore all Type I supernovae have similar luminosities.

Because They All Involve the Detonation of a Carbon-Rich White