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The Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) SN 2000cx was one of the most peculiar transients ever discovered, with a rise to maximum brightness typical of a SN Ia, but a slower decline and a higher photospheric temperature. 13 yr later SN 2013bh (also known as iPTF13abc), a near identical twin, was discovered and we obtained optical and near-infrared photometry and low-resolution optical spectroscopy from discovery until about 1 month past r-band maximum brightness. The spectra of both objects show iron-group elements [Co ii, Ni ii, Fe ii, Fe iii and high-velocity features (HVFs) of Ti ii], intermediate-mass elements (Si ii, Si iii and S ii) and separate normal velocity features (similar to 12 000 km s(-1)) and HVFs (similar to 24 000 km s(-1)) of Ca ii. Persistent absorption from Fe iii and Si iii, along with the colour evolution, implies high blackbody temperatures for SNe 2013bh and 2000cx (similar to 12 000 K). Both objects lack narrow Na i D absorption and exploded in the outskirts of their hosts, indicating that the SN environments were relatively free of interstellar or circumstellar material and may imply that the progenitors came from a relatively old and low-metallicity stellar population. Models of SN 2000cx, seemingly applicable to SN 2013bh, imply the production of up to similar to 1 M-circle dot of Ni-56 and (4.3-5.5) x 10(-3) M-circle dot of fast-moving Ca ejecta., AuthorCount:20

We present multi-band photometry and multi-epoch spectroscopy of the peculiar Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2007qd, discovered by the SDSS-II Supernova Survey. It possesses physical properties intermediate to those of the peculiar SN 2002cx and the extremely low-luminosity SN 2008ha. Optical photometry indicates that it had an extraordinarily fast rise time of lsim10 days and a peak absolute B magnitude of -15.4 ± 0.2 at most, making it one of the most subluminous SN Ia ever observed. Follow-up spectroscopy of SN 2007qd near maximum brightness unambiguously shows the presence of intermediate-mass elements which are likely caused by carbon/oxygen nuclear burning. Near maximum brightness, SN 2007qd had a photospheric velocity of only 2800 km s-1, similar to that of SN 2008ha but about 4000 and 7000 km s-1 less than that of SN 2002cx and normal SN Ia, respectively. We show that the peak luminosities of SN 2002cx like objects are highly correlated with both their light-curve stretch and photospheric velocities. Its strong apparent connection to other SN 2002cx like events suggests that SN 2007qd is also a pure deflagration of a white dwarf, although other mechanisms cannot be ruled out. It may be a critical link between SN 2008ha and the other members of the SN 2002cx like class of objects., 15