Effects of rotation on the revival of a stalled shock in supernova explosions

Abstract

In order to infer the effects of rotation on the revival of a stalled shock in supernova explosions, we investigated steady accretion flows with a standing shock. We first confirmed the results of preceding papers that, for a given mass accretion rate, there is a critical luminosity of irradiating neutrinos, above which there exists no steady solution. We can identify the critical luminosity as the one, at which the stalled shock revives. If a collapsing star rotates, the accretion flow is non-spherical due to centrifugal forces. Flows are accelerated near the rotation axis whereas they are decelerated near the equatorial plane. As a result, the critical luminosity is lowered, that is, rotation assists the revival of a stalled shock. © 2006 IOP Publishing Ltd.