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At least 991 records · Page 55
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

The criterion of supernova explosion revisited: The mass accretion history

By performing neutrino-radiation hydrodynamic simulations in spherical symmetry (1D) and axial symmetry (2D) with different progenitor models by Woosley and Heger from 12 to 100 M{sub ⊙}, we find that all 1D runs fail to produce an explosion and several 2D runs succeed. The difference in the shock evolutions for different progenitors can be interpreted by the difference in their mass accretion histories, which are in turn determined by the density structures of progenitors. The mass accretion history has two phases in the majority of the models: the earlier phase, in which the mass accretion rate is high and rapidly decreasing, and the later phase, with a low and almost constant accretion rate. They are separated by the so-called turning point, the origin of which is a change of the accreting layer. We argue that shock revival will most likely occur around the turning point and hence that its location in the M-dot --L{sub ν} plane will be a good measure for the possibility of shock revival: if the turning point lies above the critical curve and the system stays there for a long time, shock revival will obtain. In addition, we develop a phenomenological model to approximately evaluate the trajectories in the M-dot --L{sub ν} plane, which, after calibrating free parameters by a small number of 1D simulations, reproduces the location of the turning point reasonably well by using the initial density structure of progenitor alone. We suggest the application of the phenomenological model to a large collection of progenitors in order to infer without simulations which ones are more likely to explode.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

2D RADIATION-HYDRODYNAMIC SIMULATIONS OF SUPERNOVA SHOCK BREAKOUT IN BIPOLAR EXPLOSIONS OF A BLUE SUPERGIANT PROGENITOR

A two-dimensional special relativistic radiation-hydrodynamics code is developed and applied to numerical simulations of supernova shock breakout in bipolar explosions of a blue supergiant. Our calculations successfully simulate the dynamical evolution of a blast wave in the star and its emergence from the surface. Results of the model with spherical energy deposition show a good agreement with previous simulations. Furthermore, we calculate several models with bipolar energy deposition and compare their results with the spherically symmetric model. The bolometric light curves of the shock breakout emission are calculated by a ray-tracing method. Our radiation-hydrodynamic models indicate that the early part of the shock breakout emission can be used to probe the geometry of the blast wave produced as a result of the gravitational collapse of the iron core.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

TYPE I SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVAE AS EXPLOSIONS INSIDE NON-HYDROGEN CIRCUMSTELLAR ENVELOPES

A number of Type I (hydrogenless) superluminous supernova (SLSN) events have been discovered recently. However, their nature remains debatable. One of the most promising ideas is the shock interaction mechanism, but only simplified semi-analytical models have been applied so far. We simulate light curves for several Type I SLSN (SLSN-I) models enshrouded by dense, non-hydrogen circumstellar (CS) envelopes, using a multi-group radiation hydrodynamics code that predicts not only bolometric, but also multicolor light curves. We demonstrate that the bulk of SLSNe-I including those with relatively narrow light curves like SN 2010gx or broad ones like PTF09cnd can be explained by the interaction of the SN ejecta with the CS envelope, though the range of parameters for these models is rather wide. Moderate explosion energy (∼(2–4) × 10{sup 51} erg) is sufficient to explain both narrow and broad SLSN-I light curves, but ejected mass and envelope mass differ for those two cases. Only 5–10 M {sub ⊙} of non-hydrogen material is needed to reproduce the light curve of SN 2010gx, while the best model for PTF09cnd is very massive: it contains almost 50 M {sub ⊙} in the CS envelope and only 5 M {sub ⊙} in the ejecta. The CS envelope for each case extends from 10 R {sub ⊙} to ∼10{sup 5} R {sub ⊙} (7 × 10{sup 15} cm), which is about an order of magnitude larger than typical photospheric radii of standard SNe near the maximum light. We briefly discuss possible ways to form such unusual envelopes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

THE ELECTRON DENSITY IN EXPLOSIVE TRANSITION REGION EVENTS OBSERVED BY IRIS

We discuss the intensity ratio of the O iv line at 1401.16 Å to the Si iv line at 1402.77 Å in Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph ( IRIS ) spectra. This intensity ratio is important if it can be used to measure high electron densities that cannot be measured using line intensity ratios of two different O iv lines from the multiplet within the IRIS wavelength range. Our discussion is in terms of considerably earlier observations made from the Skylab manned space station and other spectrometers on orbiting spacecraft. The earlier data on the O iv and Si iv ratio and other intersystem line ratios not available to IRIS are complementary to IRIS data. In this paper, we adopt a simple interpretation based on electron density. We adopt a set of assumptions and calculate the electron density as a function of velocity in the Si iv line profiles of two explosive events. At zero velocity the densities are about 2–3 × 10{sup 11} cm{sup -3}, and near 200 km s{sup -1} outflow speed the densities are about 10{sup 12} cm{sup -3}. The densities increase with outflow speed up to about 150 km s{sup -1} after which they level off. Because of the difference in the temperature of formation of the two lines and other possible effects such as non-ionization equilibrium, these density measurements do not have the precision that would be available if there were some additional lines near the formation temperature of O iv.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Tiny Electromagnetic Explosions

This paper considers electromagnetic transients of a modest total energy (E≳10{sup 40} erg) and small initial size (R≳10{sup −1} cm). They could be produced during collisions between relativistic field structures (e.g., macroscopic magnetic dipoles) that formed around or before cosmic electroweak symmetry breaking. The outflowing energy has a dominant electromagnetic component; a subdominant thermal component (temperature >1 GeV) supplies inertia in the form of residual e{sup ±}. A thin shell forms, expanding subluminally and attaining a Lorentz factor ∼10{sup 6--7} before decelerating. Drag is supplied by the reflection of an ambient magnetic field and deflection of ambient free electrons. Emission of low-frequency (GHz–THz) superluminal waves takes place through three channels: (i) reflection of the ambient magnetic field; (ii) direct linear conversion of the embedded magnetic field into a superluminal mode; and (iii) excitation outside the shell by corrugation of its surface. The escaping electromagnetic pulse is very narrow (a few wavelengths), so the width of the detected transient is dominated by propagation effects. GHz radio transients are emitted from (i) the dark matter halos of galaxies and (ii) the near-horizon regions of supermassive black holes that formed via direct gas collapse and now accrete slowly. Brighter and much narrower 0.01–1 THz pulses are predicted at a rate at least comparable to fast radio bursts, experiencing weaker scattering and absorption. The same explosions also accelerate protons up to ∼10{sup 19} eV, and heavier nuclei up to 10{sup 20–21} eV.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Strange Quark Stars in Binaries: Formation Rates, Mergers, and Explosive Phenomena

Recently, the possible coexistence of a first family composed of “normal” neutron stars (NSs) with a second family of strange quark stars (QSs) has been proposed as a solution of problems related to the maximum mass and to the minimal radius of these compact stellar objects. In this paper, we study the mass distribution of compact objects formed in binary systems and the relative fractions of quark and NSs in different subpopulations. We incorporate the strange QS formation model provided by the two-families scenario, and we perform a large-scale population synthesis study in order to obtain the population characteristics. According to our results, the main channel for strange QS formation in binary systems is accretion from a secondary companion on an NS. Therefore, a rather large number of strange QSs form by accretion in low-mass X-ray binaries and this opens the possibility of having explosive GRB-like phenomena not related to supernovae and not due to the merger of two NSs. The number of double strange QS systems is rather small, with only a tiny fraction that merge within a Hubble time. This drastically limits the flux of strangelets produced by the merger, which turns out to be compatible with all limits stemming from Earth and lunar experiments. Moreover, this value of the flux rules out at least one relevant channel for the transformation of all NSs into strange QSs by strangelets’ absorption.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Explosive Chromospheric Evaporation Driven by Nonthermal Electrons around One Footpoint of a Solar Flare Loop

We explore the temporal relationship between microwave/hard X-ray (HXR) emission and Doppler velocity during the impulsive phase of a solar flare on 2014 October 27 (SOL2014-10-27) that displays a pulse on the light curves in the microwave (34 GHz) and HXR (25–50 keV) bands before the flare maximum. Imaging observation shows that this pulse mainly comes from one footpoint of a solar flare loop. The slit of the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph ( IRIS ) stays at this footpoint during this solar flare. The Doppler velocities of Fe xxi 1354.09 Å and Si iv 1402.77 Å are extracted from the Gaussian fitting method. We find that the hot line of Fe xxi 1354.09 Å (log T ∼ 7.05) in the corona exhibits blueshift, while the cool line of Si iv 1402.77 Å (log T ∼ 4.8) in the transition region exhibits redshift, indicating explosive chromospheric evaporation. Evaporative upflows along the flare loop are also observed in the AIA 131 Å image. To our knowledge, this is the first report of chromospheric evaporation evidence from both spectral and imaging observations in the same flare. Both microwave and HXR pulses are well correlated with the Doppler velocities, suggesting that the chromospheric evaporation is driven by nonthermal electrons around this footpoint of a solar flare loop.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗