Modeling Core-Collapse Supernovae in Three Dimensions

Abstract

We present the first complete three-dimensional simulations of the core collapse of a massive star from the onset of collapse to the resultant supernova explosion. We compare the structure of the convective instabilities that occur in three-dimensional models with those of past two-dimensional simulations. Although the convective instabilities are clearly three-dimensional in nature, we find that both the size scale of the flows and the net enhancement to neutrino heating does not differ greatly between two- and three-dimensional models. The explosion energy, explosion timescale, and remnant mass does not differ by more than 10% between two- and three-dimensional simulations.