  The accretion induced collapse (AIC) of a white dwarf into a neutron star has
been invoked to explain gamma-ray bursts, Type Ia supernovae, and a number of
problematic neutron star populations and specific binary systems. The ejecta
from this collapse has also been claimed as a source of r-process
nucleosynthesis. So far, most AIC studies have focussed on determining the
event rates from binary evolution models and less attention has been directed
toward understanding the collapse itself. However, the collapse of a white
dwarf into a neutron star is followed by the ejection of rare neutron-rich
isotopes. The observed abundance of these chemical elements may set a more
reliable limit on the rate at which AICs have taken place over the history of
the galaxy.
  In this paper, we present a thorough study of the collapse of a massive white
dwarf in 1- and 2-dimensions and determine the amount and composition of the
ejected material. We discuss the importance of the input physics (equation of
state, neutrino transport, rotation) in determining these quantities. These
simulations affirm that AICs are too baryon rich to produce gamm-ray bursts and
do not eject enough nickel to explain Type Ia supernovae (with the possible
exception of a small subclass of extremely low-luminosity Type Ias). Although
nucleosynthesis constraints limit the number of neutron stars formed via AICs
to <0.1% of the total galactic neutron star population, AICs remain a viable
scenario for forming systems of neutron stars which are difficult to explain
with Type II core-collapse supernovae.
