The effect of curvature on detonation waves in Type Ia supernovae

The effect of curvature on detonation speed and structure for detonation waves in C–O is investigated. Weakly curved detonation fronts have a sonic point inside the reaction zone. In such waves the detonation speed depends on the detailed internal structure and not on simple jump conditions. Hence, in order to obtain the correct propagation speed and products of burning, the reaction length-scales must be resolved in any numerical simulation involving curved detonations in C–O. For each value of the initial density there is a corresponding extinction curvature above which quasi-steady detonations cannot propagate. For densities less than 2×10⁷ g cm⁻³, where the self-sustaining planar waves are Chapman–Jouguet, and for realistic values of the curvature, the sonic point moves from the end of silicon burning to the end of oxygen burning. Hence the effective detonation length, i.e. the length-scale of the burning between the shock and the sonic point which can affect the front, is several orders of magnitudes less than the planar waves predict. However, silicon burning, which occurs downstream of the sonic point, is increased in length by a few orders of magnitude owing to lower detonation speeds and temperatures. Therefore more intermediate-mass elements will be produced by incomplete burning if curvature is taken into account. Recent advances in detonation theory and modelling are also discussed in the context of Type Ia supernovae.     

The structure of steady detonation waves in Type Ia supernovae: pathological detonations in C–O cores

The structure of steady, one-dimensional detonation waves in C–O is investigated for initial densities in the range 2×10⁷ to 1×10⁹ g cm⁻³. At these and greater densities, the self-supporting detonation wave is of the pathological type. For such waves the detonation speed is an eigenvalue of the steady equations, and the reaction zone contains an internal frozen sonic point where the thermicity vanishes. The self-supporting flow downstream of this singular point is supersonic, and is very different from that in supported (overdriven) detonations. A method for determining the structure of pathological detonation waves is described. These waves are examined, and the self-sustaining wave is compared with and contrasted to the supported detonations considered previously by Khokhlov. We show that the thickness of the self-sustaining detonation is a few times the thickness of supported detonations, and that the self-sustaining detonation produces more of the iron-peak and less of the intermediate mass elements than do supported detonations. Implications for the cellular detonation instability are also discussed.     

Coulomb corrections to the equation of state of nuclear statistical equilibrium matter: implications for SNIa nucleosynthesis and the accretion-induced collapse of white dwarfs

Coulomb corrections to the equation of state of degenerate matter are usually neglected in high-temperature regimes, owing to the inverse dependence of the plasma coupling constant, Γ, on temperature. However, nuclear statistical equilibrium matter is characterized by a large abundance by mass of large- Z (iron group) nuclei. It is found that Coulomb corrections to the ion ideal gas equation of state of matter in nuclear statistical equilibrium are important at temperatures T ≲5–10×10⁹ K and densities ρ ≳10⁸ g cm⁻³. At a temperature T =8.5×10⁹ K and a density ρ =8×10⁹ g cm⁻³, the neutronization rate is larger by ≳28 per cent when Coulomb corrections are included. However, the conductive velocity of a thermonuclear deflagration wave in C–O drops by ∼16 per cent when Coulomb corrections to the heat capacity are taken into account. The implications for SNIa models and nucleosynthesis, and also for the accretion-induced collapse of white dwarfs, are discussed. Particularly relevant is the result that the minimum density for collapse of a white dwarf to a neutron star is shifted down to 5.5–6×10⁹ g cm⁻³, a value substantially lower than previously thought.     

Nucleosynthesis of heavy elements: Computational experiment

The kinetic-model (KM) efficiency in heavy-element nucleosynthesis calculations is analyzed. Various nucleosynthesis conditions and various mathematical models are considered. All basic two-particle reactions with neutrons, protons, α particles, and photons are taken into account. The results for the nuclear statistical equilibrium (NSE) model and for the KM are compared under various ambient conditions. The time it takes for the solution to become a steady-state one is estimated in the KM, provided that the NSE approximation holds. The computational processor time for temperatures T<8×10⁹ K is shown to be modest, and the KM can be used for nucleosynthesis calculations in this range. The KM can be realized together with the NSE model at higher initial temperatures, with the results being smoothly joined by using the NSE solution as the initial KM approximation. The kinetic model can also be successfully used to compute the r-process under various physical conditions.     

Abundance stratification in Type Ia supernovae – II. The rapidly declining, spectroscopically normal SN 2004eo

The variation in properties of Type Ia supernovae, the thermonuclear explosions of Chandrasekhar-mass carbon–oxygen white dwarfs, is caused by different nucleosynthetic outcomes of these explosions, which can be traced from the distribution of abundances in the ejecta. The composition stratification of the spectroscopically normal but rapidly declining SN 2004eo is studied by performing spectrum synthesis of a time-series of spectra obtained before and after maximum, and of one nebular spectrum obtained about eight months later. Early-time spectra indicate that the outer ejecta are dominated by oxygen and silicon, and contain other intermediate-mass elements, implying that the outer part of the star was subject only to partial burning. In the inner part, nuclear statistical equilibrium (NSE) material dominates, but the production of ⁵⁶Ni was limited to  ∼0.43 ± 0.05   M_⊙  . An innermost zone containing  ∼0.25   M_⊙  of stable Fe-group material is also present. The relatively small amount of NSE material synthesized by SN 2004eo explains both the dimness and the rapidly evolving light curve of this supernova.     

Electron capture in carbon dwarf supernovae

The rates of electron capture on heavier elements under the extreme conditions predicted for dwarf star supernovae have been computed, incorporating modifications that seem to be indicated by present experimental results. An estimate of the maximum possible value of such rates is also given. The distribution of nuclei in nuclear statistical equilibrium has been calculated for the range of expected supernovae conditions, including the effects of the temperature dependence of nuclear partition functions. These nuclide abundance distributions are then used to compute nuclear equilibrium thermodynamic properties. The effects of the electron capture on such equilibrium matter are discussed. The results of supernova numerical hydrodynamics incorporating the computed equilibrium properties and the influence of electron capture are presented. In the context of the ‘carbon detonation’ supernova model, the dwarf central density required to assure core collapse to a neutron star configuration is found to be slightly higher than that obtained by Bruenn (1972) with the electron capture rates of Hansen (1966).     

Thermonuclear detonations in collapsing white dwarf stars

Collapsing white dwarf stars (or degenerate cores) may occur in binary systems, in the formation of Type I supernovae or in the formation of pulsars. These collapsing configurations may explode their nuclear fuel (¹²C or¹⁶O) by the detonation wave mechanism. A combination of analytical and numerical models is used to investigate the formation of detonation waves. The tentative conclusion is that a detonation wave will form which will lead to the ignition of esentially all the fuel in such a collapsing star. This potentially explosive configuration will be strongly affected, however, by rapid beta processes which occur in the detonated matter and which should cause a fraction of the stellar mass to collapse toward a neutron star state. The nature and effect of such beta processes, which have not yet been incorporated in the dynamical calculations, are discussed.An appendix gives approximate expressions for the pressureP(,T) and the internal energy densityU(,T) for a degenerate relativistic electron gas and an analysis of the errors expected in making such approximations to the standard parametric form of the equation of state. These expressions are useful in analyzing shock waves in a degenerate electron gas.Supported in part by the National Science Foundation [GP-15911, GP-9114, GP-19887] and the Office of Naval Research [Nonr-220 (47)] at the California Institute of Technology, and National Science Foundation Grant GP-12455 at the University of Colorado.     

ASCA observations of deep ROSAT fields — II. The 2–10 keV AGN luminosity function

The explosion mechanism associated with thermonuclear supernovae (SNIa) is still a matter of debate. There is a wide agreement that high amounts of radioactive nuclei are produced during these events and they are expected to be strong γ-ray emitters. In the past, several authors have investigated the use of this γ-ray emission as a diagnostic tool. In this paper we have performed a complete study of the γ-ray spectra associated with all the different scenarios currently proposed. This includes detonation, delayed detonation, deflagration and the off-centre detonation. We have performed accurate simulations for this complete set of models in order to determine the most promising spectral features that could be used to discriminate among the different models. Our study is not limited to qualitative arguments. Instead, we have quantified the differences among the spectra and established distance limits for their detection. The calculations have been performed considering the best current response estimations of the SPI and IBIS instruments aboard INTEGRAL in such a way that our results can be used as a guideline to evaluate the capabilities of INTEGRAL in the study of Type Ia supernovae. For the purpose of completeness we have also investigated the nuclear excitation and spallation reactions as a possible secondary source of γ-rays present in some supernova scenarios. We conclude that this mechanism can be neglected because of its small contribution.     

ISO SWS Spectroscopy of WR 146 (WC6+O)

We have obtained ISO SWS spectroscopy of WR 146 (WC6+O) covering the wavelength range 2.6-20 μm. WC6 wind emission is observed in numerous lines of He II and C IV, as well as in the [Ne III] 15.5 μm line, but not in [Ne II] 12.81 or [Ne V] 14.32 μm. An analysis of these spectra (and complementary radio and optical data) yields for the WC6 star: v∞ = 2700 km s-1; M=2.6×10-5M⊙yr-1; C/He = 0.15; and a neon abundance bound of 3.4×10-3≤Ne/He≤6.8×10-3. The neon abundance is close to that predicted in stellar evolution models of WC stars. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Influence of the Solar Activity Cycle on the Gasdynamic Structureof the Heliospheric Interface

The effects of the 11 year solar activity cycle on the heliospheric plasma interface in the presence of neutral H-atoms have been investigated. Our calculations show that nonstationary processes of such kind lead to1) a decrease of the mean interstellar plasma density in the interface;2) a sequence of shocks and rarefaction waves moving from the heliopause (HP)to the bow shock (BS); 3) an expansion of the region between the BS and HP;4) the TS excursion along the upwind direction is within 30%of the mean solar distance. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Binary helium dwarf supernovae

The possibility of helium dwarf evolution to sufficiently high densities for violent helium ignition in low-massed binary systems is investigated. During accretional evolution the occurrence of thermonuclear runaway is found to be probable when the dwarf's mass approaches 1M , and steady-state discontinuous wave propagation considerations indicate that the dwarf is totally incinerated (i.e., its total mass burns to nuclear equilibrium) by a detonation wave. A numerical stellar dynamic investigation, including the full effects of nuclear statistical equilibrium and electron capture indicates total disruption for all reasonable dwarf central densities. For consistency with the cosmic element abundances, the conclusion of total disruption requires a low frequency for helium supernova events, implying that helium ignition in mass exchanging binaries must occur at the lower densities of the relatively mild helium flash.Based on part of a thesis submitted by the author to the Belfer Graduate School of Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree.     

Shock instabilities

It is well known that adiabatic shocks in ordinary gases are stable to both tranverse and longitudinal perturbations, but this need not be true if there are significant thermal effects due to chemical reactions or cooling processes. For example, detonation waves in gases are observed to form cellular structures if the chemical reaction is sufficiently temperature sensitive and a similar instability occurs in radiative shocks in the ISM if their speed exceeds 150 km s^–1. This means that interstellar shocks will be subject to this radiative instability in many cases. The temperature sensitivity of the nuclear reactions in Type I supernovae is also such that we would expect detonation waves in these objects to have a cellular structure.     

Is the D/H Ratio in the Comet Coma Equal to the D/H Ratio in the Comet Nucleus?

We present a simple, semianalytic model of the vaporization of H₂O and HDO ice from a comet nucleus. We use this model to show that the flux of HDO relative to H₂O can be much higher, at times, than would be expected from the D/H ratio in the nuclear ice itself. This effect varies with position in the comet's orbit. It is negligible sufficiently near the Sun but could lead to erroneous interpretations of the primordial D/H ratio in cometary ice if measurements are made in other parts of the cometary orbit.     

Proper motions and variability of the H2 knots in the HH 111 and 121 protostellar outflows

We discuss the formation of spectral features in the decelerating ejecta of gamma-ray bursts, including the possible effect of inhomogeneities. These should lead to blueshifted and broadened absorption edges and resonant features, especially from H and He. An external neutral ISM could produce detectable H and He, as well as Fe X-ray absorption edges and lines. Hypernova scenarios may be diagnosed by Fe Kα and H Lyα emission lines.     

Propagation of H and He cosmic ray isotopes in the Galaxy: astrophysical and nuclear uncertainties

Observations of light isotopes in cosmic rays provide valuable information on their origin and propagation in the Galaxy. Using the data collected by the AMS-01 experiment in the range ∼0.2–1.5 GeV nucleon⁻¹, we compare the measurements on ¹ H, ² H, ³ He, and ⁴ He with calculations for interstellar propagation and solar modulation. These data are described well by a diffusive-reacceleration model with parameters that match the B/C ratio data, indicating that He and heavier nuclei such as C–N–O experience similar propagation histories. Close comparisons are made within the astrophysical constraints provided by the B/C ratio data and within the nuclear uncertainties arising from errors in the production cross section data. The astrophysical uncertainties are expected to be dramatically reduced by the data upcoming from AMS-02, so that the nuclear uncertainties will likely represent the most serious limitation on the reliability of the model predictions. On the other hand, we find that secondary-to-secondary ratios such as ² H/³ He, ⁶ Li/⁷ Li or ¹⁰ B/¹¹ B are barely sensitive to the key propagation parameters and can represent a useful diagnostic test for the consistency of the calculations.     

A Survey and Statistics of Interstellar OH and H_2O Masers

We present a statistical analysis of a sky survey of interstellar H2O and OH masers. These masers can be classified into three categories: isolated H2O masers, isolated OH masers, and simple OH/H2O maser associations. The total number of sources in each category is of the same order of magnitude, and as an evolutionary phase they can maintain -105 yr. An improved radiative pumping mechanism is proposed. This model avoids some of the deficiencies of previous radiative models, such as shortage of exciting photons. The statistical results obtained from the survey can be interpreted by the new mechanism together with the evolutionary model in which the gravitational force of the central stellar objects is responsible for the HII region.     

IRCS/Subaru observations of water in the inner coma of Comet 73P-B/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3: Spatially resolved rotational temperatures and ortho-para ratios

Comet 73P-B/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 was observed with IRCS/Subaru at geocentric distance of 0.074 AU on UT 10 May 2006. Multiple H₂O emission lines were detected in non-resonant fluorescence near 2.9 μm. No significant variation in total H₂O production rate was found during the (3 h) duration of our observations. H₂O rotational temperatures and ortho-to-para abundance ratios were measured for several positions in the coma. The temperatures extracted from two different time intervals show very similar spatial distributions. For both, the rotational temperature decreased from ∼110 to ∼90 K as the projected distance from the nucleus increased from ∼5 to ∼30 km. We see no evidence for OPR change in the coma. The H₂O ortho-para ratio is consistent with the statistical equilibrium value (3.0) for all spatially resolved measurements. This implies a nuclear spin temperature higher than ∼45 K.     

AGB star intershell abundances inferred from UV spectra of extremely hot post-AGB stars

The hydrogen-deficiency in extremely hot post-AGB stars of spectral class PG1159 is probably caused by a (very) late helium-shell flash or a AGB final thermal pulse that consumes the hydrogen envelope, exposing the usually-hidden intershell region. Thus, the photospheric element abundances of these stars allow us to draw conclusions about details of nuclear burning and mixing processes in the precursor AGB stars. We compare predicted element abundances to those determined by quantitative spectral analyses performed with advanced non-LTE model atmospheres. A good qualitative and quantitative agreement is found for many species (He, C, N, O, Ne, F, Si, Ar) but discrepancies for others (P, S, Fe) point at shortcomings in stellar evolution models for AGB stars. Almost all of the chemical trace elements in these hot stars can only be identified in the UV spectral range. The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer and the Hubble Space Telescope played a crucial role for this research.     

New open-source approaches to the modeling of stellar collapse and the formation of black holes

We present new approaches to the simulation of stellar collapse, the formation of black holes, and explosive core-collapse supernova nucleosynthesis that build upon open-source codes and microphysics. We discuss the new spherically-symmetric general-relativistic (GR) collapse code GR1D that is endowed with an approximate 1.5D treatment of rotation, comes with multiple nuclear equations of state, and handles neutrinos with a multi-species leakage scheme. Results from a first set of spinning black hole formation simulations are presented. We go on to discuss the derivative code GR1D+N which is tuned for calculations of explosive nucleosynthesis and includes a NSE/non-NSE equation of state treatment, and a nuclear reaction network. We present sample results showing GR1D+N??s performance in reproducing previous results with thermal-bomb-driven explosions. Finally, we introduce the 3?+?1 GR Zelmani core collapse simulation package and present first results obtained in its application to the 3D modeling of failing core-collapse supernovae.