Stellar evolution with rotation XII: Pre-supernova models

TL;DR

This paper presents advanced pre-supernova models of rotating massive stars, highlighting how rotation influences core structure, supernova progenitor characteristics, and potential gamma-ray burst production.

Contribution

It introduces updated stellar evolution models incorporating rotation effects from the ZAMS to core silicon burning, revealing significant impacts on core size, supernova type, and black hole formation.

Findings

Rotation increases core sizes by ~1.5 times.

Rotation can change supernova progenitor colors and types.

Rotating Wolf-Rayet stars retain enough angular momentum for GRB production.

Abstract

We describe the latest developments of the Geneva stellar evolution code in order to model the pre-supernova evolution of rotating massive stars. Rotating and non-rotating stellar models at solar metallicity with masses equal to 12, 15, 20, 25, 40 and 60 solar masses were computed from the ZAMS until the end of the core silicon burning phase. We took into account meridional circulation, secular shear instabilities, horizontal turbulence and dynamical shear instabilities. Most of the differences between the pre-supernova structures obtained from rotating and non-rotating stellar models have their origin in the effects of rotation during the core hydrogen and helium burning phases. The effects of rotation on pre-supernova models are significant between 15 and 30 solar masses. Indeed, rotation increases the core sizes (and the yields) by a factor ~ 1.5. Above 20 solar masses, rotation may change the colour of the supernova progenitors (blue instead of red supergiant) and the supernova type (Ib instead of II). Rotation affects the lower mass limits for radiative core carbon burning, for iron core collapse and for black hole formation. For Wolf-Rayet stars (M > 30 solar masses), the pre-supernova structures are mostly affected by the intensities of the stellar winds and less by rotational mixing. Finally, the core of our rotating WR stars contain enough angular momentum to produce GRBs.