We study the impact of large-scale perturbations from convective shell
burning on the core-collapse supernova explosion mechanism using
three-dimensional (3D) multi-group neutrino hydrodynamics simulations of an 18
solar mass progenitor. Seed asphericities in the O shell, obtained from a
recent 3D model of O shell burning, help trigger a neutrino-driven explosion
330ms after bounce whereas the shock is not revived in a model based on a
spherically symmetric progenitor for at least another 300ms. We tentatively
infer a reduction of the critical luminosity for shock revival by ~20% due to
pre-collapse perturbations. This indicates that convective seed perturbations
play an important role in the explosion mechanism in some progenitors. We
follow the evolution of the 18 solar mass model into the explosion phase for
more than 2s and find that the cycle of accretion and mass ejection is still
ongoing at this stage. With a preliminary value of 0.77 Bethe for the
diagnostic explosion energy, a baryonic neutron star mass of 1.85 solar masses,
a neutron star kick of ~600km/s and a neutron star spin period of ~20ms at the
end of the simulation, the explosion and remnant properties are slightly
atypical, but still lie comfortably within the observed distribution. Although
more refined simulations and a larger survey of progenitors are still called
for, this suggests that a solution to the problem of shock revival and
explosion energies in the ballpark of observations are within reach for
neutrino-driven explosions in 3D.Comment: 23 pages, 22 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
