Neutrino-Driven Winds in Three-Dimensional Core-Collapse Supernova Simulations

TL;DR

This study uses 3D supernova simulations to analyze neutrino-driven winds, revealing their properties, variability, and potential for nucleosynthesis, with implications for supernova explosion dynamics.

Contribution

First comprehensive 3D analysis of neutrino-driven winds in supernovae across a range of progenitors, highlighting their dynamical behavior and nucleosynthesis potential.

Findings

Winds are common in 3D supernova models.

Wind properties are similar to 1D models but show aspherical deformation.

Weak r-process nucleosynthesis occurs in some models.

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the neutrino-driven winds that emerge in twelve unprecedentedly long-duration 3D core-collapse supernova simulations done using the code Fornax. The twelve models cover progenitors with ZAMS mass between 9 and 60 solar masses. In all our models, we see transonic outflows that are at least two times as fast as the surrounding ejecta and that originate generically from a PNS surface atmosphere that is turbulent and rotating. We find that winds are common features of 3D simulations, even if there is anisotropic early fallback. We find that the basic dynamical properties of 3D winds behave qualitatively similarly to those inferred in the past using simpler 1D models, but that the shape of the emergent wind can be deformed, very aspherical, and channeled by its environment. The thermal properties of winds for less massive progenitors very approximately recapitulate the 1D stationary solutions, while for more massive progenitors they deviate significantly due to aspherical fallback. The $Y_e$ temporal evolution in winds is stochastic, and there can be some neutron-rich phases. Though no strong r-process is seen in any model, a weak r-process can be produced and isotopes up to $^{90}$Zr are synthesized in some models. Finally, we find that there is at most a few percent of a solar mass in the integrated wind component, while the energy carried by the wind itself can be as much as 10-20% of the total explosion energy.