SDSSJ0018-0939: A Clear Signature of Sub-Chandrasekhar Mass Type 1a Supernova

Very metal-poor (VMP) stars (${\rm [Fe/H]}\leq -2$) that have sub-solar values of ${\rm [X/Fe]}$ for $\alpha$ elements such as Mg, Si, and Ca, are referred to as $\alpha$-poor VMP stars. They are quite rare among VMP stars and are thought to have formed from gas enriched predominantly by a single Type Ia supernovae (SN 1a) in contrast to most VMP stars which are $\alpha$-enhanced and usually associated with core-collapse supernovae. The observed abundance pattern in such stars can provide a direct way to probe the nucleosynthesis in individual SN 1a. Although the abundance patterns in some $\alpha$-poor VMP stars have been shown to be consistent with SN 1a ejecta, a clear nucleosynthetic signature for SN 1a resulting from the explosion of a near Chandrasekhar mass (near-${\rm M_{Ch}}$) or a sub-Chandrasekhar mass (sub-${\rm M_{Ch}}$) white dwarf, has not been unambiguously detected. We perform a detailed analysis of various formation channels of VMP stars and find that the $\alpha$-poor VMP star SDSSJ0018-0939, which was earlier reported as a star with potential pair-instability supernova origin, provides almost a smoking-gun signature of a sub-${\rm M_{Ch}}$ SN 1a resulting from He detonation. We find that compared to other $\alpha$-poor VMP stars that were previously identified with SN 1a, SDSSJ0018-0939 is the only star that has a clear and unambiguous signature of SN 1a. Interestingly, our results are consistent with constraints on SN 1a from recent galactic chemical evolution studies that indicate that sub-${\rm M_{Ch}}$ SN 1a account for $\sim 50\hbox{--}75\,\%$ of all SN 1a are and possibly the dominant channel in the early Galaxy.