Core-collapse supernova simulations with reduced nucleosynthesis networks

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that incorporating reduced nuclear reaction networks in core-collapse supernova simulations significantly influences explosion dynamics and nucleosynthesis, leading to more energetic explosions and more accurate ejecta compositions.

Contribution

It introduces the importance of using in-situ nuclear reaction networks for realistic feedback in supernova simulations, highlighting differences with postprocessing methods.

Findings

Nuclear energy generation aids shock expansion and explosion energy.

Systematic discrepancies exist between in-situ and ex-situ nucleosynthesis calculations.

In-situ networks produce more neutron-rich ejecta and more energetic explosions.

Abstract

We present core-collapse supernova simulations including nuclear reaction networks that impact explosion dynamics and nucleosynthesis. The different composition treatment can lead to changes in the neutrino heating in the vicinity of the shock by modifying the number of nucleons and thus the neutrino-opacity of the region. This reduces the ram pressure outside the shock and allows an easier expansion. The energy released by the nuclear reactions during collapse also slows down the accretion and aids the shock expansion. In addition, nuclear energy generation in the postshocked matter produces up to $20\%$ more energetic explosions. Nucleosynthesis is affected due to the different dynamic evolution of the explosion. Our results indicate that the energy generation from nuclear reactions helps to sustain late outflows from the vicinity of the proto-neutron star, synthesizing more neutron-rich species. Furthermore, we show that there are systematic discrepancies between the ejecta calculated with in-situ and ex-situ reaction networks. These differences stem from the intrinsic characteristics of evolving the composition in hydrodynamic simulations or calculating it with Lagrangian tracer particles. The mass fractions of some Ca, Ti, Cr, and Fe isotopes are consistently underproduced in postprocessing calculations, leading to different nucleosynthesis paths. Our results suggest that large in-situ nuclear reaction networks are important for a realistic feedback of the energy generation, the neutrino heating, and a more accurate ejecta composition.