This award will support a theoretical investigation into the explosions of massive stars and how the properties of these stars can affect the early evolution of supernova remnants. Dr. Plewa and his students will develop and improve models that include neutrino-driven shock propagation, and will study the details of the explosion mechanisms and shock breakout. The principal goal of the work is to generate core-collapse supernova models in three dimensions to account for the most relevant physics and the geometry of mass flows between the core bounce and the early remnant phases.
Dr. Plewa will make models and data products available to the astrophysical community, which will be useful for other research groups. The work will involve many aspects of hydrodynamics, modeling of a wide range of physics, and high-performance computing. This group will continue efforts to provide outreach opportunities for undergraduate students, especially women and members of underrepresented groups, and to communicate results to the general public.
