Context. The study of Type Ia supernovae (SNIa) has lead to greatly improved insights into many fields in astrophysics, e.g. cosmology, and also into the metal enrichment of the universe. Although a theoretical explanation of the origin of these events is still lacking, there is a general consensus that SNIa are caused by the thermonuclear explosions of carbon/oxygen white dwarfs with masses near the Chandrasekhar mass. Aims. We investigate the potential contribution to the supernova Type Ia rate from the population of merging double carbon-oxygen white dwarfs. We aim to develop a model that fits the observed SNIa progenitors as well as the observed close double white dwarf population. We differentiate between two scenarios for the common envelope (CE) evolution; the α-formalism based on the energy equation and the γ-formalism that is based on the angular momentum equation. In one model we apply the α-formalism throughout. In the second model the γ-formalism is applied, unless the binary contains a compact object or the CE is triggered by a tidal instability for which the α-formalism is used. Methods. The binary population synthesis code SeBa was used to evolve binary systems from the zero-age main sequence to the formation of double white dwarfs and subsequent mergers. SeBa has been thoroughly updated since the last publication of the content of the code.Results. The limited sample of observed double white dwarfs is better represented by the simulated population using the γ-formalism for the first CE phase than the α-formalism. For both CE formalisms, we find that although the morphology of the simulated delay time distribution matches that of the observations within the errors, the normalisation and time-integrated rate per stellar mass are a factor ∼7−12 lower than observed. Furthermore, the characteristics of the simulated populations of merging double carbon-oxygen white dwarfs are discussed and put in the context of alternative SNIa models for merging double white dwarfs.

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Double detonations in double white dwarf (WD) binaries undergoing unstable mass transfer have emerged in recent years as one of the most promising Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) progenitor scenarios. One potential outcome of this "dynamically driven double-degenerate double-detonation" (D 6 ) scenario is that the companion WD survives the explosion and is flung away with a velocity equal to its > 1000 km s −1 pre-SN orbital velocity. We perform a search for these hypervelocity runaway WDs using Gaia's second data release. In this paper, we discuss seven candidates followed up with groundbased instruments. Three sources are likely to be some of the fastest known stars in the Milky Way, with total Galactocentric velocities between 1000 and 3000 km s −1 , and are consistent with having previously been companion WDs in pre-SN Ia systems. However, although the radial velocity of one of the stars is > 1000 km s −1 , the radial velocities of the other two stars are puzzlingly consistent with 2 Shen et al. 0.The combined five-parameter astrometric solutions from Gaia and radial velocities from follow-up spectra yield tentative 6D confirmation of the D 6 scenario. The past position of one of these stars places it within a faint, old SN remnant, further strengthening the interpretation of these candidates as hypervelocity runaways from binary systems that underwent SNe Ia.