Rotational Instabilities in Post-Collapse Stellar Cores

TL;DR

This paper presents 3-D simulations of core-collapse supernovae, showing that rotational instabilities can occur in the inner core but do not necessarily generate strong gravitational waves.

Contribution

It provides new 3-D simulation data demonstrating the conditions under which rotational instabilities develop in post-collapse stellar cores.

Findings

Inner core can become dynamically unstable due to rotation

Instabilities do not always produce detectable gravitational waves

Simulation results depend on initial conditions

Abstract

A core-collapse supernova might produce large amplitude gravitational waves if, through the collapse process, the inner core can aquire enough rotational energy to become dynamically unstable. In this report I present the results of 3-D numerical simulations of core collapse supernovae. These simulations indicate that for some initial conditions the post-collapse inner core is indeed unstable. However, for the cases considered, the instability does not produce a large gravitational-wave signal.