Observational evidence suggests that some very massive stars in the local Universe may die as pair-instability supernovae. We present 2D simulations of the pair-instability supernova of a non-zero metallicity star. We find that very little mixing occ
urs in this explosion because metals in the stellar envelope drive strong winds that strip the hydrogen envelope from the star prior to death. Consequently, a reverse shock cannot form and trigger fluid instabilities during the supernova. Only weak mixing driven by nuclear burning occurs in the earliest stages of the supernova, and it is too weak to affect the observational signatures of the explosion.
Numerical studies of primordial star formation suggest that the first stars in the universe may have been very massive. Stellar models indicate that non-rotating Population III stars with initial masses of 140-260 Msun die as highly energetic pair-in
stability supernovae. We present new two-dimensional simulations of primordial pair-instability supernovae done with the CASTRO code. Our simulations begin at earlier times than previous multidimensional models, at the onset of core collapse, to capture any dynamical instabilities that may be seeded by collapse and explosive burning. Such instabilities could enhance explosive yields by mixing hot ash with fuel, thereby accelerating nuclear burning, and affect the spectra of the supernova by dredging up heavy elements from greater depths in the star at early times. Our grid of models includes both blue supergiants and red supergiants over the range in progenitor mass expected for these events. We find that fluid instabilities driven by oxygen and helium burning arise at the upper and lower boundaries of the oxygen shell $sim$ 20 - 100 seconds after core bounce. Instabilities driven by burning freeze out after the SN shock exits the helium core. As the shock later propagates through the hydrogen envelope, a strong reverse shock forms that drives the growth of Rayleigh--Taylor instabilities. In red supergiant progenitors, the amplitudes of these instabilities are sufficient to mix the supernova ejecta.
The formation of supermassive Population III stars with masses $gtrsim$ 10,000 Msun in primeval galaxies in strong UV backgrounds at $z sim$ 15 may be the most viable pathway to the formation of supermassive black holes by $z sim$ 7. Most of these st
ars are expected to live for short times and then directly collapse to black holes, with little or no mass loss over their lives. But we have now discovered that non-rotating primordial stars with masses close to 55,000 Msun can instead die as highly energetic thermonuclear supernovae powered by explosive helium burning, releasing up to 10$ ^{55}$ erg, or about 10,000 times the energy of a Type Ia supernova. The explosion is triggered by the general relativistic contribution of thermal photons to gravity in the core of the star, which causes the core to contract and explosively burn. The energy release completely unbinds the star, leaving no compact remnant, and about half of the mass of the star is ejected into the early cosmos in the form of heavy elements. The explosion would be visible in the near infrared at $z lesssim$ 20 to {it Euclid} and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), perhaps signaling the birth of supermassive black hole seeds and the first quasars.
Recent studies have claimed the existence of very massive stars (VMS) up to 300 solar masses in the local Universe. As this finding may represent a paradigm shift for the canonical stellar upper-mass limit of 150 Msun, it is timely to discuss the sta
tus of the data, as well as the far-reaching implications of such objects. We held a Joint Discussion at the General Assembly in Beijing to discuss (i) the determination of the current masses of the most massive stars, (ii) the formation of VMS, (iii) their mass loss, and (iv) their evolution and final fate. The prime aim was to reach broad consensus between observers and theorists on how to identify and quantify the dominant physical processes.
We introduce numerical algorithms for initializing multidimensional simulations of stellar explosions with 1D stellar evolution models. The initial mapping from 1D profiles onto multidimensional grids can generate severe numerical artifacts, one of t
he most severe of which is the violation of conservation laws for physical quantities. We introduce a numerical scheme for mapping 1D spherically-symmetric data onto multidimensional meshes so that these physical quantities are conserved. We verify our scheme by porting a realistic 1D Lagrangian stellar profile to the new multidimensional Eulerian hydro code CASTRO. Our results show that all important features in the profiles are reproduced on the new grid and that conservation laws are enforced at all resolutions after mapping. We also introduce a numerical scheme for initializing multidimensional supernova simulations with realistic perturbations predicted by 1D stellar evolution models. Instead of seeding 3D stellar profiles with random perturbations, we imprint them with velocity perturbations that reproduce the Kolmogorov energy spectrum expected for highly turbulent convective regions in stars. Our models return Kolmogorov energy spectra and vortex structures like those in turbulent flows before the modes become nonlinear. Finally, we describe approaches to determining the resolution for simulations required to capture fluid instabilities and nuclear burning. Our algorithms are applicable to multidimensional simulations besides stellar explosions that range from astrophysics to cosmology.
Mapping one-dimensional stellar profiles onto multidimensional grids as initial conditions for hydrodynamics calculations can lead to numerical artifacts, one of the most severe of which is the violation of conservation laws for physical quantities s
uch as energy and mass. Here we introduce a numerical scheme for mapping one-dimensional spherically-symmetric data onto multidimensional meshes so that these physical quantities are conserved. We validate our scheme by porting a realistic 1D Lagrangian stellar profile to the new multidimensional Eulerian hydro code CASTRO. Our results show that all important features in the profiles are reproduced on the new grid and that conservation laws are enforced at all resolutions after mapping.
The evolution and explosion of metal-free stars with masses 10--100 solar masses are followed, and their nucleosynthetic yields, light curves, and remnant masses determined. When the supernova yields are integrated over a Salpeter initial mass functi
on, the resulting elemental abundance pattern is qualitatively solar, but with marked deficiencies of odd-Z elements with 7 <= Z <= 13. Neglecting the contribution of the neutrino wind from the neutron stars that they make, no appreciable abundances are made for elements heavier than germanium. The computed pattern compares favorably with what has been observed in metal-deficient stars with [Z] ~< -3. Most of the stars end their lives as blue supergiants and make supernovae with distinctive light curves resembling SN 1987A, but some produce primary nitrogen by dredge up and become red supergiants. A novel automated fitting algorithm is developed for determining optimal combinations of explosion energy, mixing, and initial mass function in the large model data base to agree with specified data sets. The model is applied to the low metallicity sample of Cayrel et al. (2004) and the two ultra-iron-poor stars HE0107-5240 and HE1327-2326. Best agreement with these low metallicity stars is achieved with very little mixing, and none of the metal-deficient data sets considered show the need for a high energy explosion component. To the contrary, explosion energies somewhat less than 1.2 B seem to be preferred in most cases. (abbreviated)
