  A white dwarf (WD) gains substantial angular momentum during the accretion
process that grows it toward a Chandrasekhar mass. It is therefore expected to
be quickly rotating when it ignites as a Type Ia supernova. The thermal and
shearing profile are important for subsequent flame propagation. We highlight
processes that could affect the WD shear, during accretion as well as during
the ~1000 years of pre-explosive simmering. Baroclinic instabilities and/or the
shear growth of small magnetic fields provide sufficient torque to bring the WD
very close to solid body rotation during accretion. The lack of significant
shear makes it difficult to grow a WD substantially past the typical
Chandrasekhar mass. Once carbon ignites, a convective region spreads from the
WD's center. This phase occurs regardless of progenitor scenario, and therefore
it is of great interest for understanding how the WD interior is prepared
before the explosive burning begins. We summarize some of the key properties of
the convective region, which includes demonstrating that the mass enclosed by
convection at any given time depends most sensitively on a single parameter
that can be expressed as either the ratio of temperatures or densities at the
top and bottom of the convection zone. At low Rossby numbers the redistribution
of angular momentum by convection may result in significant shearing at the
convective/non-convective boundary.
