Direct Analysis of Spectra of the Peculiar Type Ia Supernova 2000cx

The Type Ia SN 2000cx exhibited multiple peculiarities, including a lopsided B-band light-curve peak that does not conform to current methods for using shapes of light curves to standardize SN Ia luminosities. We use the parameterized supernova synthetic-spectrum code SYNOW to study line identifications in the photospheric-phase spectra of SN 2000cx. Previous work established the presence of Ca II infrared-triplet features forming above velocity about 20,000 km/s, much higher than the photospheric velocity of about 10,000 km/s. We find Ti II features forming at the same high velocity. High-velocity line formation is partly responsible for the photometric peculiarities of SN 2000cx: for example, B-band flux blocking by Ti II absorption features that decreases with time causes the B light curve to rise more rapidly and decline more slowly than it otherwise would. SN 2000cx contains an absorption feature near 4530 A that may be H-beta, forming at the same high velocity. The lack of conspicuous H-alpha and P-alpha signatures does not necessarily invalidate the H-beta identification if the high-velocity line formation is confined to a clump that partly covers the photosphere and the H-alpha and P-alpha source functions are elevated relative to that of resonance scattering. The H-beta identification is tentative. If it is correct, the high-velocity matter must have come from a nondegenerate companion star.