Type Ia Supernova Remnants: The Persistence of Memory
I will discuss the state-of-the-art regarding the progenitor systems and explosion mechanisms of Type Ia SNe, highlighting the strengths and shortcomings in our present theoretical understanding of these objects. I will then introduce several important properties of Type Ia Supernova Remnants that have the potential to make a significant contribution to these open issues. From the point of view of the explosion mechanisms, the X-ray spectra of SNRs offer the unique possibility to study the spatially resolved structure of the SN ejecta. From the point of view of the progenitors, SNRs offer the key link between the explosions, their immediate surroundings, and the stellar populations that gave birth to the progenitors.