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Seminar
3D pre-supernova hydrodynamics in the era of high resolution observations and all-sky surveys

Abstract

Core-collapse supernovae are the spectacular deaths of massive stars, critical in various branches of astronomy, from galaxy to planet formation. In the lead up to these cosmic explosions, massive stars generically experience mass loss. In the last few years, transient surveys such as ZTF and the high resolution ALMA have been able to probe mass loss in the final months - days before core-collapse. This corresponds to the violent, decisive oxygen shell burning phase, where either convection-generated internal waves or unstable explosive burning are predicted to eject mass at rates up to ~1 solar mass / year. However, current mass loss theory based on 1D simulations is not consistent with observations of these final months. In this talk I will present results from 3D hydrodynamics simulations of massive stars during oxygen shell burning (~10 minutes before core-collapse). I will focus specifically on lessons related to nuclear burning and internal gravity waves which these mass loss estimates are based on, and then discuss these differences in the context of recent observations.