A 3D Simulation of a Type II-P Supernova: from Core Bounce to Beyond Shock Breakout

TL;DR

This paper presents a comprehensive 3D simulation of a Type II-P supernova from core bounce to shock breakout, revealing asymmetries, mixing, and angle-dependent light curves, advancing the connection between theory and observations.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed 3D simulation pipeline including neutrino physics, capturing supernova asymmetries, shock dynamics, and light curves, which was not previously achieved in full scope.

Findings

Early explosion is highly asymmetric and persists to shock breakout.

Shock breakout shows strong angle dependence and delay.

Nickel ejecta velocities reach up to 7000 km/s at breakout.

Abstract

In order to better connect core-collapse supernovae (CCSN) theory with its observational signatures, we have developed a simulation pipeline from the onset of core collapse to beyond shock breakout. Using this framework, we present a three-dimensional simulation study following the evolution from five seconds to over five days of a 17-M$_{\odot}$ progenitor that explodes with $\sim$10$^{51}$ erg of energy and $\sim$0.1 M$_{\odot}$ of $^{56}$Ni ejecta. The early explosion is highly asymmetric, expanding most prominently along the southern hemisphere. This early asymmetry is preserved to shock breakout, $\sim$1 day later. Breakout itself evinces strong angle-dependence, with as much a day delay in shock breakout by direction. The nickel ejecta closely tails the forward shock, with velocities at breakout as high as $\sim$7000 km s$^{-1}$. A delayed reverse shock forming at the H/He interface on hour timescales leads to the formation of Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities, fast-moving nickel bullets, and almost complete mixing of the metal core into the hydrogen envelope. For the first time, we illustrate the angle-dependent emergent broadband and bolometric light curves from simulations evolved in three-dimensions in entirety, continuing through hydrodynamic shock breakout a CCSN model of a massive stellar progenitor evolved with detailed, late-time neutrino microphysics and transport. Our case study of a single progenitor suggests that 3D simulations initiated with detailed neutrino heating can begin to generically produce the cornucopia of suggested asymmetries and features in CCSNe observations, while establishing the methodology to study this problem in breadth.