Supernova Explosion Physics

Abstract

Quite likely, all supernovae are core-collapse supernovae. When the progenitor star's burnt-out core contracts under its own gravity - on the time scale of seconds angular-momentum conservation raises its spin energy as 1/r(2), towards some 10(52.5) erg, whilst neutron-degeneracy pressure halts the collapse at a neutron star's radius, some 10(6)cm. Magnetic-flux winding will then tap the core's large spin energy - on the time scale of less than or similar to 30s - bringing the spin period P into the range of neutron-star birth periods - ms < P < 10 s - and transferring the excess angular momentum to the overlying mantle. Subsequent reconnection of the huge toroidal magnetic fields creates a magnetized relativistic cavity, both leptons and hadrons, with particle energies up to 10(20) eV, ready to launch the envelope (via adiabatic expansion, through some 10(7) in radius). Magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities tear and squeeze the ejected shell into a large number (> 10(4)) of filamentary fragments, like a splinter bomb.