Simulations of Electron Capture and Low-Mass Iron Core Supernovae

TL;DR

This paper reviews the evolutionary pathways and explosion mechanisms of low-mass supernova progenitors, highlighting recent models, nucleosynthesis results, and the need for further exploration of this diverse supernova regime.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments in modeling low-mass electron capture and iron core supernovae, emphasizing new progenitor channels and nucleosynthesis insights.

Findings

Robust neutrino-driven explosions in low-mass supernova models

Production of light trans-iron elements and rare isotopes

Diversity of explosion mechanisms at the low-mass end

Abstract

The evolutionary pathways of core-collapse supernova progenitors at the low-mass end of the spectrum are beset with major uncertainties. In recent years, a variety of evolutionary channels has been discovered in addition to the classical electron capture supernova channel of super-AGB stars. The few available progenitor models at the low-mass end have been studied with great success in supernova simulations as the peculiar density structure makes for robust neutrino-driven explosions in this mass range. Detailed nucleosynthesis calculations have been conducted both for models of electron capture supernovae and low-mass iron core supernovae and revealed an interesting production of the lighter trans-iron elements (such as Zn, Sr, Y, Zr) as well as rare isotopes like Ca-48 and Fe-60. We stress the need to explore the low-mass end of the supernova spectrum further and link various observables to understand the diversity of explosions in this regime.