Fallback and Black Hole Production in Massive Stars

The compact remnants of core collapse supernovae - neutron stars and black holes - have properties that reflect both the structure of their stellar progenitors and the physics of the explosion. In particular, the masses of these remnants are sensitive to the density structure of the presupernova star and to the explosion energy. To a considerable extent, the final mass is determined by the ``fallback'', during the explosion, of matter that initially moves outwards, yet ultimately fails to escape. We consider here the simulated explosion of a large number of massive stars (10 to 100 \Msun) of Population I (solar metallicity) and III (zero metallicity), and find systematic differences in the remnant mass distributions. As pointed out by Chevalier(1989), supernovae in more compact progenitor stars have stronger reverse shocks and experience more fallback. For Population III stars above about 25 \Msun and explosion energies less than $1.5 \times 10^{51}$ erg, black holes are a common outcome, with masses that increase monotonically with increasing main sequence mass up to a maximum hole mass of about 35 \Msun. If such stars produce primary nitrogen, however, their black holes are systematically smaller. For modern supernovae with nearly solar metallicity, black hole production is much less frequent and the typical masses, which depend sensitively on explosion energy, are smaller. We explore the neutron star initial mass function for both populations and, for reasonable assumptions about the initial mass cut of the explosion, find good agreement with the average of observed masses of neutron stars in binaries. We also find evidence for a bimodal distribution of neutron star masses with a spike around 1.2 \Msun (gravitational mass) and a broader distribution peaked around 1.4 \Msun.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Two-Dimensional Core-Collapse Supernova Models with Multi-Dimensional Transport

We present new two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric neutrino radiation/hydrodynamic models of core-collapse supernova (CCSN) cores. We use the CASTRO code, which incorporates truly multi-dimensional, multi-group, flux-limited diffusion (MGFLD) neutrino transport, including all relevant $\mathcal{O}(v/c)$ terms. Our main motivation for carrying out this study is to compare with recent 2D models produced by other groups who have obtained explosions for some progenitor stars and with recent 2D VULCAN results that did not incorporate $\mathcal{O}(v/c)$ terms. We follow the evolution of 12, 15, 20, and 25 solar-mass progenitors to approximately 600 milliseconds after bounce and do not obtain an explosion in any of these models. Though the reason for the qualitative disagreement among the groups engaged in CCSN modeling remains unclear, we speculate that the simplifying ``ray-by-ray' approach employed by all other groups may be compromising their results. We show that ``ray-by-ray' calculations greatly exaggerate the angular and temporal variations of the neutrino fluxes, which we argue are better captured by our multi-dimensional MGFLD approach. On the other hand, our 2D models also make approximations, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions concerning the root of the differences between groups. We discuss some of the diagnostics often employed in the analyses of CCSN simulations and highlight the intimate relationship between the various explosion conditions that have been proposed. Finally, we explore the ingredients that may be missing in current calculations that may be important in reproducing the properties of the average CCSNe, should the delayed neutrino-heating mechanism be the correct mechanism of explosion.Comment: ApJ accepted version. Minor changes from origina

Very Low Energy Supernovae: Light Curves and Spectra of Shock Breakout

The brief transient emitted as a shock wave erupts through the surface of a presupernova star carries information about the stellar radius and explosion energy. Here the CASTRO code, which treats radiation transport using multigroup flux-limited diffusion, is used to simulate the light curves and spectra of shock breakout in very low-energy supernovae (VLE SNe), explosions in giant stars with final kinetic energy much less than 10$^{51}$ erg. VLE SNe light curves, computed here with the KEPLER code, are distinctively faint, red, and long-lived, making them challenging to find with transient surveys. The accompanying shock breakouts are brighter, though briefer, and potentially easier to detect. Previous analytic work provides general guidance, but numerical simulations are challenging due to the range of conditions and lack of equilibration between color and effective temperatures. We consider previous analytic work and extend discussions of color temperature and opacity to the lower energy range explored by these events. Since this is the first application of the CASTRO code to shock breakout, test simulations of normal energy shock breakout of SN1987A are carried out and compared with the literature. A set of breakout light curves and spectra are then calculated for VLE SNe with final kinetic energies in the range $10^{47} - 10^{50}$ ergs for red supergiants with main sequence masses 15 Msun and 25 Msun. The importance of uncertainties in stellar atmosphere model, opacity, and ambient medium is discussed, as are observational prospects with current and forthcoming missions.Comment: 19 pages; submitted to Astrophysical Journa

Radiation Transport Simulations of Pulsational Pair-Instability Supernovae

Massive stars of helium cores of 35-65 Msun eventually encounter the electron/positron creation instability, and it triggers explosive carbon or oxygen burning that produces several thermonuclear eruptions. The resulting catastrophe collisions of eruptive shells sometimes produce luminous transients with peak luminosity of $10^{43} - 10^{44}$ erg/sec, known as pulsational pair-instability supernovae (PPISNe). Previous 2D simulations of colliding shells show the development of Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instabilities and mixing. Here we present radiation hydrodynamic PPISNe simulations of a 110 Msun solar-metallicity star that was promising to produce a superluminous transit in the early work. Our comprehensive study contains a suite of one-, two-, and three-dimensional models. We discuss the impact of dimensionality and fluid instabilities on the resulting light curves. The results show the RT mixing found in previous multidimensional hydro studies transforms into a thin and distorted shell due to radiative cooling. Radiation from the wiggly shell peaks at its bolometric light curve of $\sim 2\times10^{43}$ erg/sec, lasting about 150 days and following with a plateau of $\sim 3\times10^{42}$ erg/sec for another two hundred days before it fades away. The total radiation energy emitted from colliding shells is $\sim 1.8 \times 10^{50}$ erg, which is $\sim 27\%$ of the kinetic energy of the major eruption. The dimensional effects also manifest on the physical properties, such as irregularity and thickness of the shell. Our study suggests PPISNe is a promising candidate of luminous SNe, the radiation of which originates from colliding shells with a homogeneous mixing of ejecta.Comment: Submitted to ApJ, 16 pages, comments are welcom

Models for Gamma-Ray Bursts and Diverse Transients

The observational diversity of ``gamma-ray bursts'' (GRBs) has been increasing, and the natural inclination is a proliferation of models. We explore the possibility that at least part of this diversity is a consequence of a single basic model for the central engine operating in a massive star of variable mass, differential rotation rate, and mass loss rate. Whatever that central engine may be - and here the collapsar is used as a reference point - it must be capable of generating both a narrowly collimated, highly relativistic jet to make the GRB, and a wide angle, sub-relativistic outflow responsible for exploding the star and making the supernova bright. To some extent, the two components may vary independently, so it is possible to produce a variety of jet energies and supernova luminosities. We explore, in particular, the production of low energy bursts and find a lower limit, $\sim10^{48}$ erg s$^{-1}$ to the power required for a jet to escape a massive star before that star either explodes or is accreted. Lower energy bursts and and ``suffocated'' bursts may be particularly prevalent when the metallicity is high, i.e., in the modern universe at low redshift.Comment: 12 pages, Royal Society meeting on GRBs, to appear in Philosophical Transactions

Relativistic Hydrodynamic Flows Using Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Structured Mesh Refinement

Astrophysical relativistic flow problems require high resolution three-dimensional numerical simulations. In this paper, we describe a new parallel three-dimensional code for simulations of special relativistic hydrodynamics (SRHD) using both spatially and temporally structured adaptive mesh refinement (AMR). We used the method of lines to discretize the SRHD equations spatially and a total variation diminishing (TVD) Runge-Kutta scheme for time integration. For spatial reconstruction, we have implemented piecewise linear method (PLM), piecewise parabolic method (PPM), third order convex essentially non-oscillatory (CENO) and third and fifth order weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) schemes. Flux is computed using either direct flux reconstruction or approximate Riemann solvers including HLL, modified Marquina flux, local Lax-Friedrichs flux formulas and HLLC. The AMR part of the code is built on top of the cosmological Eulerian AMR code {\sl enzo}. We discuss the coupling of the AMR framework with the relativistic solvers. Via various test problems, we emphasize the importance of resolution studies in relativistic flow simulations because extremely high resolution is required especially when shear flows are present in the problem. We also present the results of two 3d simulations of astrophysical jets: AGN jets and GRB jets. Resolution study of those two cases further highlights the need of high resolutions to calculate accurately relativistic flow problems.Comment: 14 pages, 23 figures. A section on 3D GRB jet simulation added. Accepted by ApJ

The Relationship Between Nitrogen Content in Soybean Leaves and Infestation Severity of Aphis glycines Mutsumura

Changes in nitrogen content of leaves in different soybean species during the infestation by Aphis glycines Mutsumura was determined. A correlation between the nitrogen content of soybean leaves and infestation severity of Aphis glycines Mutsumura was found. Therefore, the nitrogen content of soybean leaves could be regarded as one of the ecological factors used in prediction of infestation severity of Aphis glycines Mutsumura.Originating text in Chinese.Citation: Hu, Qi, Zhang, Weiqun, Yao, Yuxia, Yan, Shuqin. (1992). The Relationship Between Nitrogen Content in Soybean Leaves and Infestation Severity of Aphis glycines Mutsumura. Journal of Jilin Agricultural University, 14(4), 103-104