Physical Society Colloquium

Theories of the Explosive Death of Massive Stars

Adam Burrows

University of Arizona

Modern supernova simulations suggest that one or more of three general classes of explosion mechanisms are employed by Nature to end the life of a massive star. These are the neutrino, acoustic, and MHD mechanisms. However, though the computer codes currently applied to this puzzle incorporate the requisite physics with increasing fidelity, they are not yet able to settle the question. Moreover, it is now clear that the Gamma-Ray Burst phenomenon and the supernova phenomenon are related, however distantly. I will present results of various simulations, the physics behind them, and predictions concerning the gravitational-wave, neutrino, and pulsar signatures of various scenarios. The goal is to summarize where theory is and where theory is going.