Supernova Simulations

TL;DR

This paper reviews magnetohydrodynamic simulation methods for supernovae, emphasizing magnetic fields' roles in various explosion mechanisms, and discusses recent advances in modeling, nucleosynthesis, and gravitational wave predictions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of current simulation approaches and highlights recent progress in understanding magnetic fields in supernova explosions.

Findings

Magnetic fields are crucial in hypernova and neutrino-driven supernovae.

Recent simulations reveal insights into nucleosynthesis and gravitational waves.

Efforts are underway to improve initial conditions via 3D progenitor modeling.

Abstract

Magnetohydrodynamic simulations of core-collapse supernovae have become increasingly mature and important in recent years. Magnetic fields take center stage in scenarios for explaining hypernova explosions, but are now also considered in supernova theory more broadly as an important factor even in neutrino-driven explosions, especially in the context of neutron star birth properties. Here we present an overview of simulation approaches currently used for magnetohydrodynamic supernova simulations and sketch essential physical concepts for understanding the role of magnetic fields in supernovae of slowly or rapidly rotating massive stars. We review progress on simulations of neutrino-driven supernovae, magnetorotational supernovae, and the relevant field amplification processes. Recent results on the nucleosynthesis and gravitational wave emission from magnetorotational supernovae are also discussed. We highlight efforts to provide better initial conditions for magnetohydrodynamic supernova models by simulating short phases of the progenitor evolution in 3D to address uncertainties in the treatment of rotation and magnetic fields in current stellar evolution models.