Applying Radiation Hydrodynamics to understand Core Collapse supernovae

Abstract

Supernova explosions of massive stars are among the most powerful cosmic events. They give birth to neutron stars and stellar black holes, produce stron g neutrino and gravitational wave signals, and are the prime source candidates of chemical elements from iron to plutonium. The details of the physical me chanism that leads to the final explosion of the star are not yet fully understood. In this project we perform the currently most advanced simulations of t he supernova evolution of massive stars and treat the neutrino-matter interactions in the supernova core with unprecedented accuracy. With our two-dimensio nal detailed radiation-hydrodynamic models we aim at investigating the supernova explosion mechanism and at clarifying the stellar progenitor influence on the supernova evolution.