3D Simulations of Magnetoconvection in a Rapidly Rotating Supernova Progenitor

TL;DR

This paper presents the first 3D MHD simulations of shell burning in a rapidly rotating supernova progenitor, revealing magnetic field saturation, convection suppression, and angular momentum redistribution with implications for stellar evolution.

Contribution

It introduces novel 3D MHD simulations of supernova progenitors, showing magnetic effects on convection and rotation not previously modeled in detail.

Findings

Magnetic fields saturate at 10^{11}G, suppressing convection.

Magnetic fields transport angular momentum outward, spinning down the core.

Hydrodynamic models show complex angular momentum redistribution and retrograde rotation.

Abstract

We present a first 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of oxygen, neon and carbon shell burning in a rapidly rotating 16 M_sun core-collapse supernova progenitor. We also run a purely hydrodynamic simulation for comparison. After 180s (15 and 7 convective turnovers respectively), the magnetic fields in the oxygen and neon shells achieve saturation at 10^{11}G and 5 x 10^{10}G. The strong Maxwell stresses become comparable to the radial Reynolds stresses and eventually suppress convection. The suppression of mixing by convection and shear instabilities results in the depletion of fuel at the base of the burning regions, so that the burning shell eventually move outward to cooler regions, thus reducing the energy generation rate. The strong magnetic fields efficiently transport angular momentum outwards, quickly spinning down the rapidly rotating convective oxygen and neon shells and forcing them into rigid rotation. The hydrodynamic model shows complicated redistribution of angular momentum and develops regions of retrograde rotation at the base of the convective shells. We discuss implications of our results for stellar evolution and for the subsequent core-collapse supernova. The rapid redistribution of angular momentum in the MHD model casts some doubt on the possibility of retaining significant core angular momentum for explosions driven by millisecond magnetars. However, findings from multi-D models remain tentative until stellar evolution calculations can provide more consistent rotation profiles and estimates of magnetic field strengths to initialise multi-D simulations without substantial numerical transients. We also stress the need for longer simulations, resolution studies, and an investigation of non-ideal effects.