= Radioactively powered Type Ia supernova light curve
{title2=$L_{\mathrm{peak}}\propto M_{56}$}
The nickel-56 to cobalt-56 to iron-56 decay chain supplies gamma rays and charged particles that heat supernova ejecta. Early expansion and <photon> diffusion delay the escaping optical light; after a peak on a scale of weeks, the <luminosity> falls as decay power declines and gamma rays escape more readily. With comparable diffusion times and deposition efficiencies, peak <luminosity> scales approximately with the nickel-56 <mass>. Using one fixed absolute <luminosity> without accounting for composition-dependent yields can therefore bias standard-candle distances.
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