Lopsided explosion models for Type Ia supernovae

In recent years, considerable progress has been made in the hydrodynamical modelling of possible Type Ia supernovae scenarios and fully three-dimensional explosion simulations can now be carried out, as required for a realistic treatment of turbulent combustion. Some multi-dimensional explosion models predict significant departures from sphericity - one such class of model is that in which ignition takes place off-centre, leading to a lop-sided distribution of the products of nuclear burning. We discuss such a model and present our recent results from multi-dimensional radiative transfer calculations for light curves. We show that viewing-angle effects are significant in such explosions and that they may have a role to play in explaining some unusually bright events.