The modeling of white dwarf stars that fail to detonate can be directly connected to the new class of very dim supernova explosions, according to Jordan and his team.

FORBES: When A Supernova ... Fizzles

Those white dwarf stars that find themselves near a "companion" star can draw material from their neighbour, building up to a critical mass and eventually sparking nuclear fusion again in a nova.

BBC: Gamma rays from nova explosion surprise astronomers