A New Radiation Hydrodynamics Code and Application to the Calculation of Type Ia Supernovae Light Curves and Continuum Spectra

Abstract

A new, fully dynamic and self-consistent radiation hydrodynamics code, suitable for the calculation of supernovae light curves and continuum spectra, is described. It is a multigroup (frequency-dependent) code and includes all important $O(v/c)$ effects. It is applied to the model W7 of Nomoto, Thielemann, \& Yokoi (1984) for supernovae of type Ia. Radioactive energy deposition is incorporated through use of tables based upon Monte Carlo results. Effects of line opacity (both static or line blanketing and expansion or line blocking) are neglected, although these may prove to be important. At maximum light, models based upon different treatments of the opacity lead to values for $M_{B,max}$ in the range of -19.0 to -19.4. This range falls between the values for observed supernova claimed by Leibundgut \& Tammann (1990) and by Pierce, Ressler, \& Shure (1992).