The Multi-Dimensional Character of Core-Collapse Supernovae

W. R. Hix, E. J. Lentz, S. W. Bruenn, A. Mezzacappa, O. E. B. Messer, E. Endeve, J. M. Blondin, J. A. Harris, P. Marronett, K. N. Yakunin

Published 2016-02-17Version 1

Core-collapse supernovae, the culmination of massive stellar evolution, are spectacular astronomical events and the principle actors in the story of our elemental origins. Our understanding of these events, while still incomplete, centers around a neutrino-driven central engine that is highly hydrodynamically unstable. Increasingly sophisticated simulations reveal a shock that stalls for hundreds of milliseconds before reviving. Though brought back to life by neutrino heating, the development of the supernova explosion is inextricably linked to multi-dimensional fluid flows. In this paper, the outcomes of three-dimensional simulations that include sophisticated nuclear physics and spectral neutrino transport are juxtaposed to learn about the nature of the three dimensional fluid flow that shapes the explosion. Comparison is also made between the results of simulations in spherical symmetry from several groups, to give ourselves confidence in the understanding derived from this juxtaposition.