Probing Explosion Geometry of Core-collapse Supernovae with Light Curves of the Shock Breakout

TL;DR

This paper explores how aspherical energy deposition in core-collapse supernovae affects the shock breakout light curves, proposing that these light curves can reveal explosion geometry details.

Contribution

It introduces a two-dimensional hydrodynamical model to simulate aspherical supernova explosions and derives light curves to link shock breakout features with explosion asymmetry.

Findings

Shock breakout light curves vary with explosion geometry

Aspherical energy deposition influences shock propagation timing

Light curves can serve as indicators of supernova asymmetry

Abstract

We investigate effects of aspherical energy deposition in core-collapse supernovae on the light curve of the supernova shock breakout. We performed two-dimensional hydrodynamical calculations of an aspherical supernova explosion to obtain the time when a shock wave generated in the stellar interior reaches the stellar surface in each radial direction. Using results of the calculations, light curves during the shock breakout are derived in an approximate way. We show that the light curve during the shock breakout can be a strong indicator of aspherical properties of core-collapse supernovae.