A&A 446, 627-633 (2006)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20054145

Thermonuclear supernova simulations with stochastic ignition

W. Schmidt and J. C. Niemeyer

Lehrstuhl für Astronomie, Institut für Theoretische Physik und Astrophysik, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
    e-mail: schmidt@astro.uni-wuerzburg.de

(Received 15 July 2005 / Accepted 11 October 2005)

Abstract
We apply an ad hoc model for dynamical ignition in three-dimensional numerical simulations of thermonuclear supernovae assuming pure deflagrations. The model makes use of the statistical description of temperature fluctuations in the pre-supernova core proposed by Wunsch & Woosley (2004, ApJ, 616, 1102). Randomness in time is implemented by means of a Poisson process. We are able to vary the explosion energy and nucleosynthesis depending on the free parameter of the model which controls the rapidity of the ignition process. However, beyond a certain threshold, the strength of the explosion saturates and the outcome appears to be robust with respect to the number of ignitions. In the most energetic explosions, we find about of iron group elements. Other than in simulations with simultaneous multi-spot ignition, the amount of unburned carbon and oxygen at radial velocities of a few tends to be reduced for an ever increasing number of ignition events and, accordingly, more pronounced layering results.

Key words: stars: supernovae: general -- methods: numerical -- stars: evolution -- stars: interiors

© ESO 2006

The OpenURL standard is a protocol for transmission of metadata describing the resource that you wish to access. An OpenURL link contains article metadata and directs it to the OpenURL server of your choice. The OpenURL server can provide access to the resource and also offer complementary services (specific search engine, export of references...). The OpenURL link can be generated by different means.

• If your librarian has set up your subscription with an OpenURL resolver, OpenURL links appear automatically on the abstract pages.
• You can define your own OpenURL resolver with your EDPS Account. In this case your choice will be given priority over that of your library.
• You can use an add-on for your browser (Firefox or I.E.) to display OpenURL links on a page (see http://www.openly.com/openurlref/). You should disable this module if you wish to use the OpenURL server that you or your library have defined.