Overview
Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) are very well known transient events, but their progenitor channels and explosion mechanisms continue to be areas of great debate. One of the leading theories posits that sufficiently high densities are required to synthesize stable elements in the supernova explosion, which would require a higher mass progenitor white dwarf. Therefore, if stable nickel is detected it may be evidence of a Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf. However, recent models explore the possibility of synthesizing these heavy elements for sub-Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarfs and have produced some interesting results. Using NIR spectroscopy obtained by the Carnegie Supernova Project-II (CSP-II) with the FIRE spectrograph on the Magellan-Baade telescope, I search for evidence of stable nickel at multiple phases of the supernova’s lifetime. The sample consists of NIR spectra of 93 SNe Ia and is used to search for the [Ni II] 1.939 micron emission line and attempt to study the time evolution of spectral features in that region. I will also discuss how JWST has and will continue to obtain new observations that may be able to resolve this dispute, and present future possibilities for investigating this ongoing mystery.