arXiv subjects

S. E. Woosley

Publications and source records attributed to S. E. Woosley.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Pulsational Pair-Instability Supernovae

The final evolution of stars in the mass range 70 - 140 solar masses is explored. Depending upon their mass loss history and rotation rates, these stars will end their lives as pulsational pair-instability supernovae producing a great variety of observational transients with total durations ranging from weeks to millennia and luminosities from 10$^{41}$ to over 10$^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$. No non-rotating model radiates more than $5 \times 10^{50}$ erg of light or has a kinetic energy exceeding $5 \times 10^{51}$ erg, but greater energies are possible, in principle, in magnetar-powered explosions which are explored. Many events resemble Type Ibn, Icn, and IIn supernovae, and some potential observational counterparts are mentioned. Some PPISN can exist in a dormant state for extended periods, producing explosions millennia after their first violent pulse. These dormant supernovae contain bright Wolf-Rayet stars, possibly embedded in bright x-ray and radio sources. The relevance of PPISN to supernova impostors like Eta Carinae, to super-luminous supernovae, and to sources of gravitational radiation is discussed. No black holes between 52 and 133 solar masses are expected from stellar evolution in close binaries.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

Magnetar-Powered Supernovae in Two Dimensions. I. Superluminous Supernovae

Previous studies have shown that the radiation emitted by a rapidly rotating magnetar embedded in a young supernova can greatly amplify its luminosity. These one-dimensional studies have also revealed the existence of an instability arising from the piling up of radiatively accelerated matter in a thin dense shell deep inside the supernova. Here we examine the problem in two dimensions and find that, while instabilities cause mixing and fracture this shell into filamentary structures that reduce the density contrast, the concentration of matter in a hollow shell persists. The extent of the mixing depends upon the relative energy input by the magnetar and the kinetic energy of the inner ejecta. The light curve and spectrum of the resulting supernova will be appreciably altered, as will the appearance of the supernova remnant, which will be shellular and filamentary. A similar pile up and mixing might characterize other events where energy is input over an extended period by a centrally concentrated source, e.g. a pulsar, radioactive decay, a neutrino-powered wind, or colliding shells. The relevance of our models to the recent luminous transient ASASSN-15lh is briefly discussed.

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arXiv2016

The Progenitor of GW 150914

The spectacular detection of gravitational waves (GWs) from GW 150914 and its reported association with a gamma-ray burst (GRB) offer new insights into the evolution of massive stars. Here it is shown that no single star of any mass and credible metallicity is likely to produce the observed GW signal. Stars with helium cores in the mass range 35 to 133 solar masses encounter the pair instability and either explode or pulse until the core mass is less than 40 solar masses, smaller than the combined mass of the observed black holes. The rotation of more massive helium cores is either braked by interaction with a slowly rotating hydrogen envelope, if one is present, or by mass loss, if one is not. The very short interval between the GW signal and the observed onset of the putative GRB in GW 150914 is also too short to have come from a single star. A more probable model for making the gravitational radiation is the delayed merger of two black holes made by 70 and 90 solar mass stars in a binary system. The more massive component was a pulsational-pair instability supernova before making the first black hole.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

Core-Collapse Supernovae from 9 to 120 Solar Masses Based on Neutrino-powered Explosions

Nucleosynthesis, light curves, explosion energies, and remnant masses are calculated for a grid of supernovae resulting from massive stars with solar metallicity and masses from 9.0 to 120 solar masses. The full evolution is followed using an adaptive reaction network of up to 2000 nuclei. A novel aspect of the survey is the use of a one-dimensional neutrino transport model for the explosion. This explosion model has been calibrated to give the observed energy for SN 1987A, using several standard progenitors, and for the Crab supernova using a 9.6 solar mass progenitor. As a result of using a calibrated central engine, the final kinetic energy of the supernova is variable and sensitive to the structure of the presupernova star. Many progenitors with extended core structures do not explode, but become black holes, and the masses of exploding stars do not form a simply connected set. The resulting nucleosynthesis agrees reasonably well with the sun provided that a reasonable contribution from Type Ia supernovae is also allowed, but with a deficiency of light s-process isotopes. The resulting neutron star IMF has a mean gravitational mass near 1.4 solar masses. The average black hole mass is about 9 solar masses if only the helium core implodes, and 14 solar masses if the entire presupernova star collapses. Only ~10% of supernovae come from stars over 20 solar masses and some of these are Type Ib or Ic. Some useful systematics of Type IIp light curves are explored.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

A two-parameter criterion for classifying the explodability of massive stars by the neutrino-driven mechanism

Thus far, judging the fate of a massive star (either a neutron star (NS) or a black hole) solely by its structure prior to core collapse has been ambiguous. Our work and previous attempts find a non-monotonic variation of successful and failed supernovae with zero-age main-sequence mass, for which no single structural parameter can serve as a good predictive measure. However, we identify two parameters computed from the pre-collapse structure of the progenitor, which in combination allow for a clear separation of exploding and non-exploding cases with only few exceptions (~1-2.5%) in our set of 621 investigated stellar models. One parameter is M4, defining the normalized enclosed mass for a dimensionless entropy per nucleon of s=4, and the other is mu4 = d(m/M_sun)/d(r/1000 km) at s=4, being the normalized mass-derivative at this location. The two parameters mu4 and M4*mu4 can be directly linked to the mass-infall rate, Mdot, of the collapsing star and the electron-type neutrino luminosity of the accreting proto-NS, L_nue ~ M_ns*Mdot, which play a crucial role in the "critical luminosity" concept for the theoretical description of neutrino-driven explosions as runaway phenomenon of the stalled accretion shock. All models were evolved employing the approach of Ugliano et al. for simulating neutrino-driven explosions in spherical symmetry. The neutrino emission of the accretion layer is approximated by a gray transport solver, while the uncertain neutrino emission of the 1.1 M_sun proto-NS core is parametrized by an analytic model. The free parameters connected to the core-boundary prescription are calibrated to reproduce the observables of Supernova 1987A for five different progenitor models.

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arXiv2015

The first direct measurement of 12C(12C,n)23Mg at stellar energies

Neutrons produced by the carbon fusion reaction 12C(12C,n)23Mg play an important role in stellar nucleosynthesis. However, past studies have shown large discrepancies between experimental data and theory, leading to an uncertain cross section extrapolation at astrophysical energies. We present the first direct measurement that extends deep into the astrophysical energy range along with a new and improved extrapolation technique based on experimental data from the mirror reaction 12C(12C,p)23Na. The new reaction rate has been determined with a well-defined uncertainty that exceeds the precision required by astrophysics models. Using our constrained rate, we find that 12C(12C,n)23Mg is crucial to the production of Na and Al in Pop-III Pair Instability Supernovae. It also plays a non-negligible role in the production of weak s-process elements as well as in the production of the important galactic gamma-ray emitter 60Fe.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2015

The Remarkable Deaths of 9 - 11 Solar Mass Stars

The post-helium burning evolution of stars from 7 to 11 solar masses is complicated by the lingering effects of degeneracy and off-center ignition. Here stars in this mass range are studied using a standard set of stellar physics. Two important aspects of the study are the direct coupling of a reaction network of roughly 220 nuclei to the structure calculation at all stages and the use of a sub grid model to describe the convective bounded flame that develops during neon and oxygen burning. Below 9.0 solar masses, degenerate oxygen-neon cores form that may become either white dwarfs or electron-capture supernovae. Above 10.3 solar masses the evolution proceeds "normally" to iron-core collapse, without composition inversions or degenerate flashes. Emphasis here is upon the stars in between which typically ignite oxygen burning off center. After oxygen burns in a convectively bounded flame, silicon burning ignites in a degenerate flash that commences closer to the stellar center and with increasing violence for stars of larger mass. In some cases the silicon flash is so violent that it could lead to the early ejection of the hydrogen envelope. This might have interesting observable consequences. For example, the death of a 10.0 solar mass star could produce two supernova-like displays, a faint low energy event due to the silicon flash, and an unusually bright supernova many months later as the low energy ejecta from core collapse collides with the previously ejected envelope. The potential relation to the Crab supernova is discussed.

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arXiv2015

The LOFT perspective on neutron star thermonuclear bursts

This is a White Paper in support of the mission concept of the Large Observatory for X-ray Timing (LOFT), proposed as a medium-sized ESA mission. We discuss the potential of LOFT for the study of thermonuclear X-ray bursts on accreting neutron stars. For a summary, we refer to the paper.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2014

The Deaths of Very Massive Stars

The theory underlying the evolution and death of stars heavier than 10 Msun on the main sequence is reviewed with an emphasis upon stars much heavier than 30 Msun. These are stars that, in the absence of substantial mass loss, are expected to either produce black holes when they die, or, for helium cores heavier than about 35 Msun, encounter the pair instability. A wide variety of outcomes is possible depending upon the initial composition of the star, its rotation rate, and the physics used to model its evolution. These heavier stars can produce some of the brightest supernovae in the universe, but also some of the faintest. They can make gamma-ray bursts or collapse without a whimper. Their nucleosynthesis can range from just CNO to a broad range of elements up to the iron group. Though rare nowadays, they probably played a disproportionate role in shaping the evolution of the universe following the formation of its first stars.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

Finding the First Cosmic Explosions. III. Pulsational Pair-Instability Supernovae

Population III supernovae have been the focus of growing attention because of their potential to directly probe the properties of the first stars, particularly the most energetic events that can be seen at the edge of the observable universe. But until now pair-pulsation supernovae, in which explosive thermonuclear burning in massive stars fails to unbind them but can eject their outer layers into space, have been overlooked as cosmic beacons at the earliest redshifts. These shells can later collide and, like Type IIn supernovae, produce superluminous events in the UV at high redshifts that could be detected in the near infrared today. We present numerical simulations of a 110 M$_{\odot}$ pair-pulsation explosion done with the Los Alamos radiation hydrodynamics code RAGE. We find that collisions between consecutive pair pulsations are visible in the near infrared out to z $\sim$ 15 - 20 and can probe the earliest stellar populations at cosmic dawn.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

The Deflagration Stage of Chandrasekhar Mass Models For Type Ia Supernovae: I. Early Evolution

We present high-resolution, full-star simulations of the post-ignition phase of Type Ia supernovae using the compressible hydrodynamics code Castro. Initial conditions, including the turbulent velocity field and ignition site, are imported directly from a simulation of the last few hours of presupernova convection using a low Mach number code, Maestro. Adaptive mesh refinement allows the initial burning front to be modeled with an effective resolution of 36,864^3 zones (~136 m/zone). The initial rise and expansion of the deflagration front are tracked until burning reaches the star's edge and the role of the background turbulence on the flame is investigated. The effect of artificially moving the ignition location closer to the star's center is explored. The degree to which turbulence affects the burning front decreases with increasing ignition radius since the buoyancy force is stronger at larger radii. Even central ignition --- in the presence of a background convective flow field --- is rapidly carried off-center as the flame is carried by the flow field. We compare our results to analytic models for burning thermals, and find that they reproduce the general trends of the bubble's size and mass, but underpredict the amount of buoyant acceleration due to simplifying assumptions of the bubble's properties. Overall, we find that the amount of mass that burns prior to flame break out is small, consistent with a "gravitationally confined detonation" occurring at a later epoch, but additional burning will occur following breakout that may modify this conclusion.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

Finding the First Cosmic Explosions I: Pair-Instability Supernovae

The first stars are the key to the formation of primitive galaxies, early cosmological reionization and chemical enrichment, and the origin of supermassive black holes. Unfortunately, in spite of their extreme luminosities, individual Population III stars will likely remain beyond the reach of direct observation for decades to come. However, their properties could be revealed by their supernova explosions, which may soon be detected by a new generation of NIR observatories such as JWST and WFIRST. We present light curves and spectra for Pop III pair-instability supernovae calculated with the Los Alamos radiation hydrodynamics code RAGE. Our numerical simulations account for the interaction of the blast with realistic circumstellar envelopes, the opacity of the envelope, and Lyman absorption by the neutral IGM at high redshift, all of which are crucial to computing the NIR signatures of the first cosmic explosions. We find that JWST will detect pair-instability supernovae out to z > 30, WFIRST will detect them in all-sky surveys out to z ~ 15 - 20 and LSST and Pan-STARRS will find them at z ~ 7 - 8. The discovery of these ancient explosions will probe the first stellar populations and reveal the existence of primitive galaxies that might not otherwise have been detected.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Carbon Deflagration in Type Ia Supernova: I. Centrally Ignited Models

A leading model for Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) begins with a white dwarf near the Chandrasekhar mass that ignites a degenerate thermonuclear runaway close to its center and explodes. In a series of papers, we shall explore the consequences of ignition at several locations within such dwarfs. Here we assume central ignition, which has been explored before, however, the problem is worth revisiting, if only to validate those previous studies and to further elucidate the relevant physics for future work. A perturbed sphere of hot iron ash with a radius of ~100 km is initialized at the middle of the star. The subsequent explosion is followed in several simulations using a thickened flame model in which the flame speed is either fixed --- within the range expected from turbulent combustion --- or based on the local turbulent intensity. Global results, including the explosion energy and bulk nucleosynthesis (e.g. 56Ni of 0.48--0.56 $\Msun$) turn out to be insensitive to this speed. In all completed runs, the energy released by the nuclear burning is adequate to unbind the star, but not enough to give the energy and brightness of typical SNe Ia. As found previously, the chemical stratification observed in typical events is not reproduced. These models produce a large amount of unburned carbon and oxygen in central low velocity regions, which is inconsistent with spectroscopic observations, and the intermediate mass elements and iron group elements are strongly mixed during the explosion.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Nucleosynthetic Constraints on the Mass of the Heaviest Supernovae

Assuming a Salpeter initial mass function and taking the solar abundances as a representative sample, we explore the sensitivity of nucleosynthesis in massive stars to the truncation of supernova explosions above a certain mass. It is assumed that stars of all masses contribute to nucleosynthesis by their pre-explosive winds, but above a certain limiting main sequence mass, the presupernova star becomes a black hole and ejects nothing more. The solar abundances from oxygen to atomic mass 90 are fit quite well assuming no cut-off at all, i.e., by assuming all stars up to 120 solar masses make successful supernovae. Little degradation in the fit occurs if the upper limit is reduced to 25 solar masses. The limit can be further reduced, but the required event rate of supernovae in the remaining range rises rapidly to compensate for the lost nucleosynthesis of the more massive stars. The nucleosynthesis of the s-process declines precipitously and the production of species made in the winds, e.g., carbon, becomes unacceptably large compared with elements made in the explosion, e.g., silicon and oxygen. However, by varying uncertain physics, especially the mass loss rate for massive stars and the rate for the neon-22 to magnesium-25 reaction rate, acceptable nucleosynthesis might still be achieved with a cutoff as low as 18 solar masses. This would require a supernova frequency three times greater than the fiducial value obtained when all stars explode in order to produce the required oxygen-16. The nucleosynthesis of iron-60 and aluminum-26 is also examined.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2012

Seeing the First Supernovae at the Edge of the Universe with JWST

The first stars ended the cosmic Dark Ages and created the first heavy elements necessary for the formation of planets and life. The properties of these stars remain uncertain, and it may be decades before individual Pop III stars are directly observed. Their masses, however, can be inferred from their supernova explosions, which may soon be found in both deep-field surveys by JWST and in all-sky surveys by WFIRST. We have performed radiation hydrodynamical simulations of the near infrared signals of Pop III pair-instability supernovae in realistic circumstellar environments with Lyman absorption by the neutral intergalactic medium. We find that JWST and WFIRST will detect these explosions out to z ~ 30 and 20, respectively, unveiling the first generation of stars in the universe.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2011

High-Resolution Simulations of Convection Preceding Ignition in Type Ia Supernovae Using Adaptive Mesh Refinement

We extend our previous three-dimensional, full-star simulations of the final hours of convection preceding ignition in Type Ia supernovae to higher resolution using the adaptive mesh refinement capability of our low Mach number code, MAESTRO. We report the statistics of the ignition of the first flame at an effective 4.34 km resolution, and general flow field properties at an effective 2.17 km resolution. We find that off-center ignition is likely, with radius of 50 km most favored and a likely range of 40 to 75 km. This is consistent with our previous coarser (8.68 km resolution) simulations, implying that we have achieved sufficient resolution in our determination of likely ignition radii. The dynamics of the last few hot spots preceding ignition suggest that a multiple ignition scenario is not likely. With improved resolution, we can more clearly see the general flow pattern in the convective region, characterized by a strong outward plume with a lower speed recirculation. We show that the convective core is turbulent with a Kolmogorov spectrum and has a lower turbulent intensity and larger integral length scale than previously thought (on the order of 16 km s$^{-1}$ and 200 km, respectively), and we discuss the potential consequences for the first flames.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2011

From Convection to Explosion: End-to-End Simulation of Type Ia Supernovae

We present our end-to-end capability for computing the convective phase through the explosion phase of Type Ia supernovae. We compute the convective phase up to the time of ignition using our low Mach number code, MAESTRO, and the subsequent explosion phase using our compressible code, CASTRO. Both codes share the same BoxLib software framework and use finite-volume, block-structured adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) to enable high-resolution, three-dimensional full-star simulations that scale to 100,000+ cores. We present preliminary results from the first-ever simulations of convection preceding ignition using MAESTRO with AMR. We also demonstrate our ability to initialize a compressible simulation of the explosion phase in CASTRO using data obtained directly from MAESTRO just before ignition. Some care must be taken during this initialization procedure when interpreting the size and distribution of hot spots.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2011

Long Gamma-Ray Transients from Collapsars

In the collapsar model for common gamma-ray bursts, the formation of a centrifugally supported disk occurs during the first $\sim$10 seconds following the collapse of the iron core in a massive star. This only occurs in a small fraction of massive stellar deaths, however, and requires unusual conditions. A much more frequent occurrence could be the death of a star that makes a black hole and a weak or absent outgoing shock, but in a progenitor that only has enough angular momentum in its outermost layers to make a disk. We consider several cases where this is likely to occur - blue supergiants with low mass loss rates, tidally-interacting binaries involving either helium stars or giant stars, and the collapse to a black hole of very massive pair-instability supernovae. These events have in common the accretion of a solar mass or so of material through a disk over a period much longer than the duration of a common gamma-ray burst. A broad range of powers is possible, $10^{47}$ to $10^{50}\,$erg s$^{-1}$, and this brightness could be enhanced by beaming. Such events were probably more frequent in the early universe where mass loss rates were lower. Indeed this could be one of the most common forms of gamma-ray transients in the universe and could be used to study first generation stars. Several events could be active in the sky at any one time. A recent example of this sort of event may have been the SWIFT transient Sw-1644+57.

astro-ph.HE↗