Progenitor's signatures in type Ia supernova remnants

The remnants of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) can provide important clues about their progenitor histories. We discuss two well-observed supernova remnants (SNRs) that are believed to have resulted from SNe Ia, and use various tools to shed light on the possible progenitor histories. We find that Kepler's SNR is consistent with a symbiotic binary progenitor consisting of a white dwarf and an AGB star. Our hydrosimulations can reproduce the observed kinematic and morphological properties. For Tycho's remnant we use the characteristics of the X-ray spectrum and kinematics to show that the ejecta has likely interacted with dense circumstellar gas. Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2013