The 91T/99aa-like Type Ia Supernova 2019vrq, Part II: 3D, Non-LTE, Low-Amplitude, Pulsating Delayed-Detonation Models of a Promising Standard Candle

Abstract

We analyze the overluminous, 91T/99aa-like Type~Ia SN 2019vrq, based on light curves(LCs) and spectropolarimetric time-series. We employ 3D-radiation-hydrodynamical, full non-LTE simulations of low-amplitude, radially-pulsating-off-center-delayed-detonations(PDD) of a possibly rotating near-M(Ch) mass white dwarf (WD) to reproduce the LCs and spectra. The progenitor originates from a 7 Mo main-sequence star of solar metallicity. The explosion yields 0.86Mo of 56Ni and 0.023Mo of 58Ni. The latter falls a factor of 10 below that of `classical' delayed-detonations for 91T/99aa-like SNe, a diagnostic that is directly testable with JWST. The slow deflagration leaves a bound, pulsating WD. The detonation is triggered at 0.8 Mo. LCs and spectra require an outer 0.11 Mo of unburned material with twice-solar Fe, plausibly the ashes of an earlier, unsuccessful explosion, and low-level mixing of nuclear-statistical-equilibrium(NSE) elements. The spectra reflect early high ionization followed by recombination, with the photosphere shifting from intermediate-mass-element- to NSE-dominated layers about a week before maximum. The early high-velocity (HV) CaII IR3 line (likely produced by an aspherical density shell at 24,000km/s of 0.01 Mo) arises from an ionization sandwich rather than a double structure in abundances. After Ca recombines, the CaII IR3 wing reaches 33,000km/s well beyond the HV component. The low polarization is due to low scattering in an iron-group-dominated photosphere, consistent with asphericities <20% and resulting in a directional luminosity dependence 10-15% from the outer layers, and a dispersion of 35% in total. The LC-shape provides a further probe of asphericity, consistent with the locally tested polarimetry limits and relevant for high-z cosmology.