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Type Ia Supernova Explosions
This page organizes access to data from various Type Ia
supernova simulations I have performed. You are welcome to use images
and movies in talks, etc., so long as you credit them properly. See
this page for more information on
our supernova work.
Movies are in MPEG or
Quicktime format unless otherwise
indicated.
Static white dwarf calculations
This is unpublished work and is not to be cited or
distributed beyond the Flash Center.
These calculations are 3D hydrostatic models of a solar-mass or
Chandrasekhar-mass
(1.38Msun) white dwarf.
The density and pressure are initialized by interpolating a 1D
degenerate polytrope of the correct mass onto the 3D adaptive mesh used
by FLASH.
The composition is initially 50% carbon/50% oxygen everywhere.
The calculations are performed to verify that, with self-gravity, FLASH
can keep an unperturbed white dwarf in equilibrium for at least the
period of time required for a supernova explosion to disrupt it (1-2 sec).
Prompt detonations
This is unpublished work and is not to be cited or
distributed beyond the Flash Center.
These calculations are 3D prompt detonations of a Chandrasekhar-mass
(1.38Msun) white dwarf.
The density and pressure are initialized by interpolating a 1D
degenerate polytrope of the correct mass onto the 3D adaptive mesh used
by FLASH.
The composition is initially 50% carbon/50% oxygen everywhere.
The detonation is initiated by setting a single zone (or a small
spherical region) to a temperature high enough to sustain thermonuclear
burning.
In some cases, we begin the detonation slightly off-center.
This model should produce a healthy explosion, but we expect it to
burn everything to nickel, in disagreement with observations of
Type Ia supernovae, which indicate the presence of intermediate-mass
isotopes. Nevertheless, it is an important precursor calculation to
our forthcoming, more difficult calculations involving deflagration.
The calculations are performed on 3D Cartesian meshes with different
numbers of top-level blocks and maximum levels of refinement.
Currently I am exploring different methods of refining and initializing this
problem.
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