The Remarkable Death of A Massive Star

The explosion of a massive star can produce ripples through spacetime and drive the creation of the elements needed for life. Their deaths can also give birth to a neutron star or black hole, providing clues into the evolution of galaxies. However, the chaotic nature of massive stars presents a challenge to interpreting their observed properties. Recent technological advancements allow us to now produce state-of-the-art computational simulations of the transient fate of a massive star. These simulations can unlock secrets about the violent nuclear fusion occurring deep within these stars, a region inaccessible to direct observation. In this talk, Dr. Fields will present recent results of hydrodynamic simulations of massive stars in the final moments proceeding and during their catastrophic fates.

Speaker: Carl Fields, Los Alamos National Laboratories