Hot Spot Ignition in White Dwarfs - One-zone Ignition Times

Type Ia supernovae are almost certainly caused by the incineration of a turbulent carbon-oxygen white dwarf. Local hot spots ignite and either fizzle out, or begin propagating burning as a deflagration or a detonation, in which the carbon and oxygen is consumed. These burning pockets may then rise harmlessly upwards, or may be large enough to cause a large fraction of the dwarf to burn. Although the basic picture is understood, the details of igniting these hot spots remains fuzzy. In this work, we begin the process of understanding the ignition of these hotspots by examining the burning of one zone of the white dwarf.