SN 2022joj: A Peculiar Type Ia Supernova Possibly Driven by an Asymmetric Helium-shell Double Detonation

We present observations of SN 2022joj, a peculiar Type Ia supernova discovered by the Zwicky Transient Facility. SN 2022joj exhibits an unusually red g ZTF - r ZTF color at early times and a rapid blueward evolution afterward. Around maximum brightness, SN 2022joj shows a high luminosity ( MgZTF,max similar or equal to-19.7 mag), a blue broadband color (g ZTF - r ZTF similar or equal to -0.2 mag), and shallow Si ii absorption lines, consistent with those of overluminous, SN 1991T-like events. The maximum-light spectrum also shows prominent absorption around 4200 angstrom, which resembles the Ti ii features in subluminous, SN 1991bg-like events. Despite the blue optical-band colors, SN 2022joj exhibits extremely red ultraviolet minus optical colors at maximum luminosity (u - v similar or equal to 0.6 mag and uvw1 - v similar or equal to 2.5 mag), suggesting a suppression of flux at similar to 2500-4000 angstrom. Strong C ii lines are also detected at peak. We show that these unusual spectroscopic properties are broadly consistent with the helium-shell double detonation of a sub-Chandrasekhar mass (M similar or equal to 1 M circle dot) carbon/oxygen white dwarf from a relatively massive helium shell (M s similar or equal to 0.04-0.1 M circle dot), if observed along a line of sight roughly opposite to where the shell initially detonates. None of the existing models could quantitatively explain all the peculiarities observed in SN 2022joj. The low flux ratio of [Ni ii] lambda 7378 to [Fe ii] lambda 7155 emission in the late-time nebular spectra indicates a low yield of stable Ni isotopes, favoring a sub-Chandrasekhar mass progenitor. The significant blueshift measured in the [Fe ii] lambda 7155 line is also consistent with an asymmetric chemical distribution in the ejecta, as is predicted in double-detonation models.