Production of 44Ti and iron-group nuclei in the ejecta of 3D neutrino-driven supernovae

TL;DR

This paper presents the first 3D neutrino-driven supernova simulation that accurately predicts the production of 44Ti and other iron-group nuclei, aligning better with observational data than previous 1D models.

Contribution

It introduces a self-consistent 3D supernova model that captures long-term evolution, significantly improving nucleosynthesis yield predictions for 44Ti and related isotopes.

Findings

Enhanced Ti/Fe yield compared to 1D models

Long-time evolution is crucial for accurate 44Ti production

High yields of 45Sc and 64Zn in proton-rich ejecta

Abstract

The radioactive isotopes of 44Ti and 56Ni are important products of explosive nucleosynthesis, which play a key role for supernova (SN) diagnostics and were detected in several nearby young SN remnants. However, most SN models based on non-rotating single stars predict yields of 44Ti that are much lower than the values inferred from observations. We present, for the first time, the nucleosynthesis yields from a self-consistent three-dimensional (3D) SN simulation of an approximately 19 Msun progenitor star that reaches an explosion energy comparable to that of SN 1987A and that covers the evolution of the neutrino-driven explosion until more than 7 seconds after core bounce. We find a significant enhancement of the Ti/Fe yield compared to recent spherically symmetric (1D) models and demonstrate that the long-time evolution is crucial to understand the efficient production of 44Ti due to the non-monotonic temperature and density histories of ejected mass elements. Additionally, we identify characteristic signatures of the nucleosynthesis in proton-rich ejecta, in particular high yields of 45Sc and 64Zn.