Magnetic Torques Imply Fewer Double Detonations

Binary systems composed of one helium-rich nondegenerate star and one carbon-oxygen white dwarf (He+CO) have long been considered a promising progenitor candidate for a number of astrophysical transients like archetypical supernovae of the type Ia, Iax, and a number of less luminous phenomena, such as He-novae and AM CVn stars. Among the proposed mechanisms capable of initiating a detonation of the degenerate core of the WD, the sub-Chandrasekhar mass double detonation has received increased attention in recent years. We present the results of a number of numerical simulations on the evolution of helium accreting CO WDs with an emphasis on the effects of differential rotation and magnetic fields in the context of the Spruit-Tayler (ST) dynamo. We present findings of two papers: Neunteufel et al. (2017) and (forthcoming) Neunteufel et al. (2018)