205 research outputs found
Conservative formulations of general relativistic kinetic theory
Experience with core-collapse supernova simulations shows that accurate
accounting of total particle number and 4-momentum can be a challenge for
computational radiative transfer. This accurate accounting would be facilitated
by the use of particle number and 4-momentum transport equations that allow
transparent conversion between volume and surface integrals in both
configuration and momentum space. Such conservative formulations of general
relativistic kinetic theory in multiple spatial dimensions are presented in
this paper, and their relevance to core-collapse supernova simulations is
described.Comment: 48 page
A supersymmetric model for triggering Supernova Ia in isolated white dwarfs
We propose a model for supernovae Ia explosions based on a phase transition
to a supersymmetric state which becomes the active trigger for the deflagration
starting the explosion in an isolated sub-Chandrasekhar white dwarf star. With
two free parameters we fit the rate and several properties of type Ia
supernovae and address the gap in the supermassive black hole mass
distribution. One parameter is a critical density fit to about
g/cc while the other has the units of a space time volume and is found to be of
order Gyr where is the earth radius. The model involves
a phase transition to an exact supersymmetry in a small core of a dense star.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, expanded version to be published in Physical
Review
The consequences of nuclear electron capture in core collapse supernovae
The most important weak nuclear interaction to the dynamics of stellar core
collapse is electron capture, primarily on nuclei with masses larger than 60.
In prior simulations of core collapse, electron capture on these nuclei has
been treated in a highly parameterized fashion, if not ignored. With realistic
treatment of electron capture on heavy nuclei come significant changes in the
hydrodynamics of core collapse and bounce. We discuss these as well as the
ramifications for the post-bounce evolution in core collapse supernovae.Comment: Accepted by PRL, 5 pages, 2 figure
Spin-down of neutron stars by neutrino emission
We study the spin-down of a neutron star during its early stages due to the
neutrino emission. The mechanism we consider is the subsequent collisions of
the produced neutrinos with the outer shells of the star. We find that this
mechanism can indeed slow down the star rotation but only in the first tens of
seconds of the core formation, which is when the appropriate conditions of flux
and collision rate are met. We find that this mechanism can extract less than 1
% of the star angular momentum, a result which is much less than previously
estimated by other authors.Comment: 9 pages, 2 eps figures, RevTeX 4-1. The paper was significantly
modified. Now it addresses only the issues of a neutron star spin-down.
Version to be published in Phys. Rev.
Pulsar spins from an instability in the accretion shock of supernovae
Rotation-powered radio pulsars are born with inferred initial rotation
periods of order 300 ms (some as short as 20 ms) in core-collapse supernovae.
In the traditional picture, this fast rotation is the result of conservation of
angular momentum during the collapse of a rotating stellar core. This leads to
the inevitable conclusion that pulsar spin is directly correlated with the
rotation of the progenitor star. So far, however, stellar theory has not been
able to explain the distribution of pulsar spins, suggesting that the birth
rotation is either too slow or too fast. Here we report a robust instability of
the stalled accretion shock in core-collapse supernovae that is able to
generate a strong rotational flow in the vicinity of the accreting
proto-neutron star. Sufficient angular momentum is deposited on the
proto-neutron star to generate a final spin period consistent with
observations, even beginning with spherically symmetrical initial conditions.
This provides a new mechanism for the generation of neutron star spin and
weakens, if not breaks, the assumed correlation between the rotational periods
of supernova progenitor cores and pulsar spin.Comment: To be published in Natur
Neutrino - nucleon reaction rates in the supernova core in the relativistic random phase approximation
In view of the application to supernova simulations, we calculate neutrino
reaction rates with nucleons via the neutral and charged currents in the
supernova core in the relativistic random phase approximation (RPA) and study
their effects on the opacity of the supernova core. The formulation is based on
the Lagrangian employed in the calculation of nuclear equation of state (EOS)
in the relativistic mean field theory (RMF). The nonlinear meson terms are
treated appropriately so that the consistency of the density correlation
derived in RPA with the thermodynamic derivative obtained from EOS by RMF is
satisfied in the static and long wave length limit. We employ pion and rho
meson exchange interactions together with the phenomenological Landau-Migdal
parameters for the isospin-dependent nuclear interactions. We find that both
the charged and neutral current reaction rates are suppressed from the standard
Bruenn's approximate formula considerably in the high density regime. In the
low density regime, on the other hand, the vector current contribution to the
neutrino-nucleon scattering rate is enhanced in the vicinity of the boundary of
the liquid-gas phase transition, while the other contributions are moderately
suppressed there also. In the high temperature regime or in the regime where
electrons have a large chemical potential, the latter of which is important
only for the electron capture process and its inverse process, the recoil of
nucleons cannot be neglected and further reduces the reaction rates with
respect to the standard approximate formula which discards any energy transfer
in the processes. These issues could have a great impact on the neutrino
heating mechanism of collapse-driven supernovae.Comment: 16pages, 19figures, submitted to PR
A New Algorithm for Supernova Neutrino Transport and Some Applications
We have developed an implicit, multi-group, time-dependent, spherical
neutrino transport code based on the Feautrier variables, the tangent-ray
method, and accelerated iteration. The code achieves high
angular resolution, is good to O(), is equivalent to a Boltzmann solver
(without gravitational redshifts), and solves the transport equation at all
optical depths with precision. In this paper, we present our formulation of the
relevant numerics and microphysics and explore protoneutron star atmospheres
for snapshot post-bounce models. Our major focus is on spectra, neutrino-matter
heating rates, Eddington factors, angular distributions, and phase-space
occupancies. In addition, we investigate the influence on neutrino spectra and
heating of final-state electron blocking, stimulated absorption, velocity terms
in the transport equation, neutrino-nucleon scattering asymmetry, and weak
magnetism and recoil effects. Furthermore, we compare the emergent spectra and
heating rates obtained using full transport with those obtained using
representative flux-limited transport formulations to gauge their accuracy and
viability. Finally, we derive useful formulae for the neutrino source strength
due to nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung and determine bremsstrahlung's influence
on the emergent and neutrino spectra.Comment: 58 pages, single-spaced LaTeX, 23 figures, revised title, also
available at http://jupiter.as.arizona.edu/~burrows/papers, accepted for
publication in the Ap.
Magnetic field generation by the stationary accretion shock instability
By adding a weak magnetic field to a spherically symmetric fluid
configuration that caricatures a stalled shock in the post-bounce supernova
environment, we explore the capacity of the stationary accretion shock
instability (SASI) to generate magnetic fields. The SASI develops upon
perturbation of the initial condition, and the ensuing flow generates--{\em in
the absence of rotation}--dynamically significant magnetic fields ( G) on a time scale that is relevant for the explosion mechanism of
core-collapse supernovae. We describe our model, present some recent results,
and discuss their potential relevance for supernova models.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Journal of Physics: Conference
Series, SciDAC 200
Modeling core collapse supernovae in 2 and 3 dimensions with spectral neutrino transport
The overwhelming evidence that the core collapse supernova mechanism is
inherently multidimensional, the complexity of the physical processes involved,
and the increasing evidence from simulations that the explosion is marginal
presents great computational challenges for the realistic modeling of this
event, particularly in 3 spatial dimensions. We have developed a code which is
scalable to computations in 3 dimensions which couples PPM Lagrangian with
remap hydrodynamics [1], multigroup, flux-limited diffusion neutrino transport
[2], with many improvements), and a nuclear network [3]. The neutrino transport
is performed in a ray-by-ray plus approximation wherein all the lateral effects
of neutrinos are included (e.g., pressure, velocity corrections, advection)
except the transport. A moving radial grid option permits the evolution to be
carried out from initial core collapse with only modest demands on the number
of radial zones. The inner part of the core is evolved after collapse along
with the rest of the core and mantle by subcycling the lateral evolution near
the center as demanded by the small Courant times. We present results of 2-D
simulations of a symmetric and an asymmetric collapse of both a 15 and an 11 M
progenitor. In each of these simulations we have discovered that once the
oxygen rich material reaches the shock there is a synergistic interplay between
the reduced ram pressure, the energy released by the burning of the shock
heated oxygen rich material, and the neutrino energy deposition which leads to
a revival of the shock and an explosion.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure
- …