Stellar neutrino energy loss rates due to 24^{24}Mg suitable for O+Ne+Mg core simulations

Neutrino losses from proto-neutron stars play a pivotal role to decide if these stars would be crushed into black holes or explode as supernovae. Recent observations of subluminous Type II-P supernovae (e.g., 2005cs, 2003gd, 1999br, 1997D) were able to rejuvenate the interest in 8-10 M$_{\odot}$ stars which develop O+Ne+Mg cores. Simulation results of O+Ne+Mg cores show varying results in converting the collapse into an explosion. The neutrino energy loss rates are important input parameters in core collapse simulations. Proton-neutron quasi-particle random phase approximation (pn-QRPA) theory has been used for calculation of neutrino energy loss rates due to $^{24}$Mg in stellar matter. The rates are presented on a detailed density-temperature grid suitable for simulation purposes. The calculated neutrino energy loss rates are enhanced up to more than one order of magnitude compared to the shell model calculations and favor a lower entropy for the core of these massive stars.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Explosive Burning of Oxygen and Silicon

Astronom

Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamics of Pre-Core Collapse: Oxygen Shell Burning

By direct hydrodynamic simulation, using the Piecewise Parabolic Method (PPM) code PROMETHEUS, we study the properties of a convective oxygen burning shell in a SN 1987A progenitor star prior to collapse. The convection is too heterogeneous and dynamic to be well approximated by one-dimensional diffusion-like algorithms which have previously been used for this epoch. Qualitatively new phenomena are seen. The simulations are two-dimensional, with good resolution in radius and angle, and use a large (90-degree) slice centered at the equator. The microphysics and the initial model were carefully treated. Many of the qualitative features of previous multi-dimensional simulations of convection are seen, including large kinetic and acoustic energy fluxes, which are not accounted for by mixing length theory. Small but significant amounts of carbon-12 are mixed non-uniformly into the oxygen burning convection zone, resulting in hot spots of nuclear energy production which are more than an order of magnitude more energetic than the oxygen flame itself. Density perturbations (up to 8%) occur at the `edges' of the convective zone and are the result of gravity waves generated by interaction of penetrating flows into the stable region. Perturbations of temperature and electron fraction at the base of the convective zone are of sufficient magnitude to create angular inhomogeneities in explosive nucleosynthesis products, and need to be included in quantitative estimates of yields. Combined with the plume-like velocity structure arising from convection, the perturbations will contribute to the mixing of nickel-56 throughout supernovae envelopes. Runs of different resolution, and angular extent, were performed to test the robustness of theseComment: For mpeg movies of these simulations, see http://www.astrophysics.arizona.edu/movies.html Submitted to the Astrophysical Journa

Rapid neutron capture in supernova explosions

Rapid neutron capture in supernova explosion

E-Process - Its Components And Their Neutron Excesses

NSF GP-18335, GP-32051NASA NGR-44-006-159Astronom

E-Process - Its Components And Their Neutron Excesses

NSF GP-18335, GP-32051NASA NGR-44-006-159Astronom

Chemical equilibrium and stable stratification of a multi-component fluid: thermodynamics and application to neutron stars

A general thermodynamic argument shows that multi-component matter in full chemical equilibrium, with uniform entropy per baryon, is generally stably stratified. This is particularly relevant for neutron stars, in which the effects of entropy are negligible compared to those of the equilibrium composition gradient established by weak interactions. It can therefore be asserted that, regardless of the uncertainties in the equation of state of dense matter, neutron stars are stably stratified. This has important, previously discussed consequences for their oscillation modes, magnetic field evolution, and internal angular momentum transport.Comment: AASTeX, 8 pages, including 1 PS figure. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Nuclear liquid-gas phase transition and supernovae evolution

It is shown that the large density fluctuations appearing at the onset of the first order nuclear liquid-gas phase transition can play an important role in the supernovae evolution. Due to these fluctuations, the neutrino gas may be trapped inside a thin layer of matter near the proto-neutron star surface. The resulting increase of pressure may induce strong particle ejection a few hundred milliseconds after the bounce of the collapse, contributing to the revival of the shock wave. The Hartree-Fock+RPA scheme, with a finite-range nucleon-nucleon effective interaction, is employed to estimate the effects of the neutrino trapping due to the strong density fluctuations, and to discuss qualitatively the consequences of the suggested new scenario.Comment: version2 - precise that nuclear liquid-gas phase transition is 1st order and the unique instable mode is isoscala

Theoretical Studies of Accretion of Matter onto White Dwarfs and the Single Degenerate Scenario for Supernovae of Type Ia

We present a brief summary of the Single Degenerate Scenario for the progenitors of Type Ia Supernovae in which it is assumed that a low mass carbon-oxygen white dwarf is growing in mass as a result of accretion from a secondary star in a close binary system. Recent hydrodynamic simulations of accretion of solar material onto white dwarfs without mixing always produce a thermonuclear runaway and steady burning does not occur. For a broad range in WD mass (0.4 Solar masses to 1.35 Solar Masses), the maximum ejected material occurs for the 1.25 Solar Mass sequences and then decreases as the white dwarf mass decreases. Therefore, the white dwarfs are growing in mass as a consequence of the accretion of solar material and as long as there is no mixing of accreted material with core material. In contrast, a thermonuclear runaway in the accreted hydrogen-rich layers on the low luminosity WDs in close binary systems where mixing of core matter with accreted material has occurred is the outburst mechanism for Classical, Recurrent, and Symbiotic novae. The differences in characteristics of these systems is likely the WD mass and mass accretion rate. The high levels of enrichment of CN ejecta in elements ranging from carbon to sulfur confirm that there is dredge-up of matter from the core of the WD and enable them to contribute to the chemical enrichment of the interstellar medium. Therefore, studies of CNe can lead to an improved understanding of Galactic nucleosynthesis, some sources of pre-solar grains, and the Extragalactic distance scale. The characteristics of the outburst depend on the white dwarf mass, luminosity, mass accretion rate, and the chemical composition of both the accreting material and WD material. The properties of the outburst also depends on when, how, and if the accreted layers are mixed with the WD core and the mixing mechanism is still unknown.Comment: 25 Pages, Bulletin of the Astronomical Society of India (BASI) in pres

Spectral and Polarization Sensitivity of the Dipteran Visual System

Spectral and polarization sensitivity measurements were made at several levels (retina, first and third optic ganglion, cervical connective, behavior) of the dipteran visual nervous system. At all levels, it was possible to reveal contributions from the retinular cell subsystem cells 1 to 6 or the retinular cell subsystem cells 7 and 8 or both. Only retinular cells 1 to 6 were directly studied, and all possessed the same spectral sensitivity characterized by two approximately equal sensitivity peaks at 350 and 480 nm. All units of both the sustaining and on-off variety in the first optic ganglion exhibited the same spectral sensitivity as that of retinular cells 1 to 6. It was possible to demonstrate for motion detection and optomotor responses two different spectral sensitivities depending upon the spatial wavelength of the stimulus. For long spatial wavelengths, the spectral sensitivity agreed with retinular cells 1 to 6; however, the spectral sensitivity at short spatial wavelengths was characterized by a single peak at 465 nm reflecting contributions from the (7, 8) subsystem. Although the two subsystems exhibited different spectral sensitivities, the difference was small and no indication of color discrimination mechanisms was observed. Although all retinular cells 1 to 6 exhibited a preferred polarization plane, sustaining and on-off units did not. Likewise, motion detection and optomotor responses were insensitive to the polarization plane for long spatial wavelength stimuli; however, sensitivity to select polarization planes was observed for short spatial wavelengths