Showing papers by "John M. Blondin published in 2013"

Axisymmetric ab initio core-collapse supernova simulations of 12-25 m ☉ stars

Abstract: We present an overview of four ab initio axisymmetric core-collapse supernova simulations employing detailed spectral neutrino transport computed with our CHIMERA code and initiated from Woosley and Heger progenitors of mass 12, 15, 20, and 25 M{sub Sun }. All four models exhibit shock revival over {approx}200 ms (leading to the possibility of explosion), driven by neutrino energy deposition. Hydrodynamic instabilities that impart substantial asymmetries to the shock aid these revivals, with convection appearing first in the 12 M{sub Sun} model and the standing accretion shock instability appearing first in the 25 M{sub Sun} model. Three of the models have developed pronounced prolate morphologies (the 20 M{sub Sun} model has remained approximately spherical). By 500 ms after bounce the mean shock radii in all four models exceed 3000 km and the diagnostic explosion energies are 0.33, 0.66, 0.65, and 0.70 Bethe (B = 10{sup 51} erg) for the 12, 15, 20, and 25 M{sub Sun} models, respectively, and are increasing. The three least massive of our models are already sufficiently energetic to completely unbind the envelopes of their progenitors (i.e., to explode), as evidenced by our best estimate of their explosion energies, which first become positive at 320, 380, andmore » 440 ms after bounce. By 850 ms the 12 M{sub Sun} diagnostic explosion energy has saturated at 0.38 B, and our estimate for the final kinetic energy of the ejecta is {approx}0.3 B, which is comparable to observations for lower mass progenitors.« less

AZIMUTHAL DENSITY VARIATIONS AROUND THE RIM OF TYCHO's SUPERNOVA REMNANT

Abstract: Spitzer images of Tycho's supernova remnant in the mid-infrared reveal limb-brightened emission from the entire periphery of the shell and faint filamentary structures in the interior. As with other young remnants, this emission is produced by dust grains, warmed to ~100 K in the post-shock environment by collisions with energetic electrons and ions. The ratio of the 70 to 24??m fluxes is a diagnostic of the dust temperature, which in turn is a sensitive function of the plasma density. We find significant variations in the 70/24 flux ratio around the periphery of Tycho's forward shock, implying order-of-magnitude variations in density. While some of these are likely localized interactions with dense clumps of the interstellar medium (ISM), we find an overall gradient in the ambient density surrounding Tycho, with densities 3-10?times higher in the northeast than in the southwest. This large density gradient is qualitatively consistent with the variations in the proper motion of the shock observed in radio and X-ray studies. Overall, the mean ISM density around Tycho is quite low (~0.1-0.2 cm?3), consistent with the lack of thermal X-ray emission observed at the forward shock. We perform two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of a Type?Ia supernova expanding into a density gradient in the ISM, and find that the overall round shape of the remnant is still easily achievable, even for explosions into significant gradients. However, this leads to an offset of the center of the explosion from the geometric center of the remnant of up to 20%, although lower values of 10% are preferred. The best match with hydrodynamical simulations is achieved if Tycho is located at a large (3-4 kpc) distance in a medium with a mean preshock density of ~0.2 cm?3. Such preshock densities are obtained for highly ( 50%) porous ISM grains.

X-Ray Emission from Strongly Asymmetric Circumstellar Material in the Remnant of Kepler's Supernova

Abstract: Kepler's supernova remnant resulted from a thermonuclear explosion, but is interacting with circumstellar material (CSM) lost from the progenitor system. We describe a statistical technique for isolating X-ray emission due to CSM from that due to shocked ejecta. Shocked CSM coincides well in position with 24 μm emission seen by Spitzer. We find most CSM to be distributed along the bright north rim, but substantial concentrations are also found projected against the center of the remnant, roughly along a diameter with position angle ~100°. We interpret this as evidence for a disk distribution of CSM before the supernova, with the line of sight to the observer roughly in the disk plane. We present two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of this scenario in qualitative agreement with the observed CSM morphology. Our observations require Kepler to have originated in a close binary system with an asymptotic giant branch star companion.

Three-dimensional numerical investigations of the morphology of Type Ia SNRs

Abstract: We explore the morphology of Type Ia supernova remnants (SNRs) using threedimensional hydrodynamics modeling and an exponential density profile. Our model distinguishes ejecta from the interstellar medium (ISM), and tracks the ionization age of shocked ejecta, both of which allow for additional analysis of the simulated remnants. We also include the adiabatic index as a free parameter, which aects the compressibility of the fluid and emulates the eciency of cosmic ray acceleration by shock fronts. In addition to generating 3-D images of the simulations, we compute line-of-sight projections through the remnants for comparison against observations of Tycho’s SNR and SN 1006. We find that several features observed in these two remnants, such as the separation between the fluid discontinuities and the presence of ejecta knots ahead of the forward shock, can be generated by smooth ejecta without any initial clumpiness. Our results are consistent with SN 1006 being dynamically younger than Tycho’s SNR, and more eciently accelerating cosmic rays at its forward shock. We conclude that clumpiness is not a necessary condition to reproduce many observed features of Type Ia supernova remnants, particularly the radial profiles and the fleecy emission from ejecta at the central region of both remnants.

Azimuthal Density Variations Around the Rim of Tycho's Supernova Remnant

Abstract: {\it Spitzer} images of Tycho's supernova remnant in the mid-infrared reveal limb-brightened emission from the entire periphery of the shell and faint filamentary structures in the interior. As with other young remnants, this emission is produced by dust grains, warmed to $\sim 100$ K in the post-shock environment by collisions with energetic electrons and ions. The ratio of the 70 to 24 $\mu$m fluxes is a diagnostic of the dust temperature, which in turn is a sensitive function of the plasma density. We find significant variations in the 70/24 flux ratio around the periphery of Tycho's forward shock, implying order-of-magnitude variations in density. While some of these are likely localized interactions with dense clumps of the interstellar medium, we find an overall gradient in the ambient density surrounding Tycho, with densities 3-10 times higher in the NE than in the SW. This large density gradient is qualitatively consistent with the variations in the proper motion of the shock observed in radio and X-ray studies. Overall, the mean ISM density around Tycho is quite low ($\sim 0.1-0.2$ cm$^{-3}$), consistent with the lack of thermal X-ray emission observed at the forward shock. We perform two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of a Type Ia SN expanding into a density gradient in the ISM, and find that the overall round shape of the remnant is still easily acheivable, even for explosions into significant gradients. However, this leads to an offset of the center of the explosion from the geometric center of the remnant of up to 20%, although lower values of 10% are preferred. The best match with hydrodynamical simulations is achieved if Tycho is located at a large (3-4 kpc) distance in a medium with a mean preshock density of $\sim 0.2$ cm$^{-3}$. Such preshock densities are obtained for highly ($\ga 50$%) porous ISM grains.

Accretion Disks in Two-dimensional Hoyle-Lyttleton Flow

Abstract: We investigate the flip-flop instability observed in two-dimensional planar hydrodynamic simulations of Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion in the case of an accreting object with a radius much smaller than the nominal accretion radius, as one would expect in astrophysically relevant situations. Contrary to previous results with larger accretors, accretion from a homogenous medium onto a small accretor is characterized by a robust, quasi-Keplerian accretion disk. For gas with a ratio of specific heats of 5/3, such a disk remains locked in one direction for a uniform ambient medium. The accretion flow is more variable for gas with a ratio of specific heats of 4/3, with more dynamical interaction of the disk flow with the bow shock leading to occasional flips in the direction of rotation of the accretion disk. In both cases the accretion of angular momentum is determined by the flow pattern behind the accretion shock rather than by the parameters of the upstream flow.

Turbulence and magnetic field amplification from spiral SASI modes in core-collapse supernovae

Abstract: The stationary accretion shock instability (SASI) plays a central role in modern simulations of the explosion phase of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe). It may be key to realizing neutrino powered explosions, and possibly links birth properties of pulsars (e.g., kick, spin and magnetic field) to supernova dynamics. Using high-resolution magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we study the development of turbulence, and subsequent amplification of magnetic fields in a simplified model of the post-bounce CCSN environment. Turbulence develops from secondary instabilities induced by the SASI. Our simulations suggest that the development of turbulence plays an important role for the subsequent evolution of the SASI. The turbulence also acts to amplify weak magnetic fields via a small-scale dynamo.

Accretion in supergiant High Mass X-ray Binaries

Abstract: Supergiant High Mass X-ray Binary systems (sgHMXBs) consist of a massive, late type, star and a neutron star. The massive stars exhibits strong, radiatively driven, stellar winds. Wind accretion onto compact object triggers X-ray emission, which alters the stellar wind significantly. Hydrodynamic simulation has been used to study the neutron star - stellar wind interaction it two sgHMXBs: i) A heavily obscured sgHMXB (IGR J17252-3616) discovered by INTEGRAL. To account for observable quantities (i.e., absorbing column density) we have to assume a very slow wind terminal velocity of about 500 km/s and a rather massive neutron star. If confirmed in other obscured systems, this could provide a completely new stellar wind diagnostics. ii) A classical sgHMXB (Vela X-1) has been studied in depth to understand the origin of the off-states observed in this system. Among many models used to account for this observed behavior (clumpy wind, gating mechanism) we propose that self-organized criticality of the accretion stream is the likely reason for the observed behavior. In conclusion, the neutron star, in these two examples, acts very efficiently as a probe to study stellar winds.

Two- and three-dimensional simulations of core-collapse supernovae with CHIMERA

Abstract: Ascertaining the core-collapse supernova mechanism is a complex, and yet unsolved, problem dependent on the interaction of general relativity, hydrodynamics, neutrino transport, neutrino-matter interactions, and nuclear equations of state and reaction kinetics. Ab initio modeling of core-collapse supernovae and their nucleosynthetic outcomes requires care in the coupling and approximations of the physical components. We have built our multi-physics CHIMERA code for supernova modeling in 1-, 2-, and 3-D, using ray-by-ray neutrino transport, approximate general relativity, and detailed neutrino and nuclear physics. We discuss some early results from our current series of exploding 2D simulations and our work to perform computationally tractable simulations in 3D using the ``Yin--Yang'' grid.