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arXiv · 1212.4380

Low Mach Number Modeling of Convection in Helium Shells on Sub-Chandrasekhar White Dwarfs. I. Methodology

M. Zingale·A. Nonaka·A. S. Almgren·J. B. Bell·C. M. Malone·R. J. Orvedahl
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Abstract

We assess the robustness of a low Mach number hydrodynamics algorithm for modeling helium shell convection on the surface of a white dwarf in the context of the sub-Chandrasekhar model for Type Ia supernovae. We use the low Mach number stellar hydrodynamics code, MAESTRO, to perform three-dimensional, spatially-adaptive simulations of convection leading up to the point of the ignition of a burning front. We show that the low Mach number hydrodynamics model provides a robust description of the system.

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M. Zingale, A. Nonaka, A. S. Almgren, J. B. Bell, C. M. Malone, R. J. Orvedahl. 2012-12-18. Low Mach Number Modeling of Convection in Helium Shells on Sub-Chandrasekhar White Dwarfs. I. Methodology. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/764/1/97

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