3D Convective Urca Process in a Simmering White Dwarf

TL;DR

This paper presents the first 3D simulations of the convective Urca process in a white dwarf during the simmering phase of Type Ia supernovae, revealing detailed insights into convection, mixing, and neutrino losses.

Contribution

It introduces the first full-star 3D simulations of the convective Urca process using low Mach number hydrodynamics, advancing understanding of core convection in white dwarfs.

Findings

Extent of mixing across the Urca shell characterized

Flow velocities and energy loss rates quantified

Convective boundary structure analyzed

Abstract

A proposed setting for thermonuclear (Type Ia) supernovae is a white dwarf that has gained mass from a companion to the point of carbon ignition in the core. In the early stages of carbon burning, called the simmering phase, energy released by the reactions in the core drive the formation and growth of a core convection zone. One aspect of this phase is the convective Urca process, a linking of weak nuclear reactions to convection, which may alter the composition and structure of the white dwarf. The convective Urca process is not well understood and requires 3D fluid simulations to properly model the turbulent convection, an inherently 3D process. Because the neutron excess of the fluid both sets and is set by the extent of the convection zone, the realistic steady state can only be determined in simulations with real 3D mixing processes. Additionally, the convection is relatively slow (Mach number less than 0.005) and thus a low Mach number method is needed to model the flow over many convective turnovers. Using the MAESTROeX low Mach number hydrodynamic software, we present the first full star 3D simulations of the A=23 convective Urca process, spanning hundreds of convective turnover times. Our findings on the extent of mixing across the Urca shell, the characteristic velocities of the flow, the energy loss rates due to neutrino emission, and the structure of the convective boundary can be used to inform 1D stellar models that track the longer-timescale evolution.