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The progenitors of supernovae (SNe) type Ia are usually assumed to be eithera single white dwarf (WD) accreting from a non-degenerate companion (the SDchannel) or the result of two merging WDs (DD channel). However, no consensuscurrently exists as to which progenitor scenario is the correct one, or whetherthe observed SN Ia rate is produced by a combination of both channels. Unlike aDD progenitor a SD progenitor is expected to emit supersoft X-rays for aprolonged period of time (~1 Myr) as a result of the burning of accreted matteron the surface of the WD. An argument against the SD channel as a significantproducer of SNe type Ia has been the lack of observed supersoft X-ray sources(SSS) and the lower-than-expected integrated soft X-ray flux from ellipticalgalaxies.  We wish to determine if it is possible to obscure the supersoft X-rayemission from a nuclear burning white dwarf in an accreting single degeneratebinary system. In case of obscured systems we wish to determine their generalobservational characteristics.  We examine the emergent X-ray emission from a canonical SSS system surroundedby a spherically symmetric configuration of material, assuming a black bodyspectrum with T_BB=50 eV and L=10^38 erg/s. The circumbinary material isassumed to be of solar chemical abundances, and we leave the mechanism behindthe mass loss into the circumbinary region unspecified.  If steadily accreting, nuclear burning WDs are canonical SSS our analysissuggests that they can be obscured by relatively modest circumbinary mass lossrates. This may explain the discrepancy of SSS compared to the SN Ia rateinferred from observations if the SD progenitor scenario contributessignificantly to the SN Ia rate. Recycled emissions from obscured systems maybe visible in other wavebands than X-rays. It may also explain the lack ofobserved SSS in symbiotic binary systems.

Obscuration of Supersoft X-ray Sources by Circumbinary Material - A Way to Hide Type Ia Supernova Progenitors?