How does nickel-56 decay help power the light from a Type Ia supernova?

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Supernova Composite image of Kepler's Nova, or Kepler's Supernova, taken by the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

In a Type Ia supernova, the light emitted in the weeks following the explosion is primarily powered by the radioactive decay of nickel-56.1

During the thermonuclear explosion that destroys the white dwarf, significant quantities of nickel-56 are synthesized. As this isotope undergoes radioactive decay, it transforms into cobalt-56, which subsequently decays into stable iron-56. These decay processes release substantial amounts of energy, which provides the luminosity observed as the supernova fades over time.1