Rutgers University Astrophysics Seminar

Type Ia supernovae involve the thermonuclear detonation of white dwarf stars, and are an essential tool allowing us to study the Universe on vast scales. However, Type Ia supernovae are not the only byproducts of the mergers at the endpoints of binaries. I will discuss the growing number of observational signposts that can distinguish populations of white dwarf stars that descend from failed Type Ia supernovae. I will also discuss how space-based missions like Gaia, Kepler, and TESS have allowed us better select merger byproducts among the population of typical stellar remnants, allowing us to better characterize the fossils in our nearby stellar graveyard.