What is the significance of Type Ia supernovae for cosmology?
Answer
They offer a consistent luminosity standard across the universe because the $1.4 M_{\odot}$ limit is extremely consistent.
Because Type Ia supernovae are consistently triggered when the white dwarf reaches the highly uniform Chandrasekhar mass limit, they exhibit a very consistent peak luminosity, making them invaluable as standard candles for measuring cosmic distances.
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