Abstract
Neutrinos play important roles in the pre-collapse evolution, explosion, and aftermath of core-collapse supernovae. Detected neutrino signals from core-collapse supernovae would provide insight into the explosion mechanism and unknown neutrino mixing parameters. Achieving these goals requires large-scale, multiphysics simulations. For many years, several groups have performed such simulations with increasing realism. Current simulations and plans for future work of the Oak Ridge group are described.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 275-277 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | Nuclear Physics B - Proceedings Supplements |
| Volume | 217 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 2011 |
Funding
Towards the end of its life the inert core of a massive star is supported by electron degeneracy pressure. As the mass of the core increases the electrons become increasingly relativistic, and once they reach the speed of light they have nothing more to give. This is the basic physics behind the Chandrasekhar limit, and when the mass of the core exceeds it, dynamical collapse ensues. The collapsing interior divides into an inner core, in sonic contact with itself, and an outer core whose infall is supersonic. Collapse of the inner core halts when the nucleons begin to overlap. A shock wave forms when supersonically infalling material slams into the inner core. The shock moves out, heating the material through which it passes, and eventually will give rise to the optical emission we know as a supernova.