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“The Simmering Stage of Type Ia Supernovae” Dr. Anthony Piro UC Berkeley |
| Prior to the incineration of a white dwarf that makes a Type Ia supernova, the star "simmers" for ~1000 years in a convecting, carbon burning region. We investigate this time-dependent convection and show how it differs from the traditional, steady-state case in setting the thermal and turbulent profile. The study of this phase is still in its infancy, but we have already identified a number of different effects that may have an impact on the subsequent explosion. Weak interactions during this time increase the neutron excess, which is important for understanding the radioactive nickel yield. Interaction of the convection with the white dwarf spin may determine angular momentum transport. Finally, we argue that this core convection readily generates magnetic field strengths of up to 10^12 G via a massive core dynamo. |