Narrow Results

Neutrino (ν) oscillations during the core collapse and bounce of a supernova (SN) are shown to generate the most powerful detectable gravitational wave (GW) bursts. The SN neutronization phase produces mainly electron (ν_e) neutrinos, the oscillations of which must take place within a few mean-free paths of their resonance surface located near their neutrinosphere. Here we characterize the GW signals produced by spin-flip oscillations inside the fast-rotating protoneutron star in the SN core. In this novel mechanism, the release of both the oscillation-produced ν_μ's, ν_τ's and the spin-flip-driven GW pulse provides a unique emission offset for measuring the ν travel time to Earth. As massive ν's get noticeably delayed on its journey to Earth with respect to the GW, they generate over the oscillation transient, the accurate measurement of this time-of-flight delay by SNEWS + LIGO, VIRGO, BBO, DECIGO, etc. can assess the absolute ν mass spectrum straightforwardly.

The exact physical conditions generating the abundances of r-elements in environments such as supernovae explosions are still under debate. We evaluated the characteristics expected for the neutrino wind in the proposed model of type-II supernova driven by conversion of nuclear matter to strange matter. Neutrinos will change the final abundance of elements after freeze out of r-process nucleosynthesis, specially those close to mass peaks.

Motivated by the success of kinetic theory in the description of observables in intermediate and high energy heavy-ion collisions, we use kinetic theory to model the dynamics of core collapse supernovae. The specific way that we employ kinetic theory to solve the relevant transport equations allows us to explicitly model the propagation of neutrinos and a full ensemble of nuclei and treat neutrino–matter interactions in a very general way. With these abilities, our simulations have observed dynamics that may prove to be an entirely new neutrino capture induced supernova explosion mechanism.

We assume that Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are standard candles which one could use to test cosmological theories. The Hubble Space Telescope team analyzed 186 SNe Ia¹ to test the standard cosmological model (SC) associated with expanded lengths in the universe and evaluate its parameters. We use the same sample to determine parameters of the conformal cosmological model (CC) with relative reference units of intervals, so that conformal quantities of general relativity are interpreted as observables. We concluded, that the test is extremely useful and allows the evaluation of the parameters of the model. From a formal statistical point of view the best-fit of the CC model is almost the same quality approximation as the best-fit of the SC model with Ω_Λ = 0.72, Ω_m = 0.28. As it was noted earlier, for CC models, a rigid matter component could substitute the Λ-term (or quintessence) existing in the SC model. We note that a free massless scalar field can generate such a rigid matter. We describe the results of our analysis for more recent "gold" data (for 192 SNe Ia).

Supernovae observations strongly support the presence of a cosmological constant, but its value, which we will call apparent, is normally determined assuming that the universe can be accurately described by a homogeneous model. Even in the presence of a cosmological constant we cannot exclude nevertheless the presence of a small local inhomogeneity which could affect the apparent value of the cosmological constant. Neglecting the presence of the inhomogeneity can in fact introduce a systematic misinterpretation of cosmological data, leading to the distinction between an apparent and the true value of the cosmological constant. But is such a difference distinguishable? Recently we set out to model the local inhomogeneity with a ΛLTB solution and computed the relation between the apparent and the true value of the cosmological constant. In this essay we reproduce the essence of our model with the emphasis on its physical implications.

We confront Einstein–Cartan's theory with the Hubble diagram and obtain a negative answer to the question in the title. Contrary findings in the literature seem to stem from an error in the field equations.

This contribution is a review of some talks presented at the session "Magneto-Plasma Processes in Relativistic Astrophysics" of the Thirteenth Marcel Grossmann Meeting MG13. We discuss the modern developments of relativistic astrophysics, connected with presence of plasma and magnetic fields. The influence of magneto-plasma processes on the structure of the compact objects and accretion processes is considered. We also discuss a crucial role of magnetic field for the mechanism of core-collapse supernova explosions. Gravitational lensing in plasma is also considered.

Is the Chandrasekhar mass limit for white dwarfs (WDs) set in stone? Not anymore, recent observations of over-luminous, peculiar type Ia supernovae can be explained if significantly super-Chandrasekhar WDs exist as their progenitors, thus barring them to be used as cosmic distance indicators. However, there is no estimate of a mass limit for these super-Chandrasekhar WD candidates yet. Can they be arbitrarily large? In fact, the answer is no! We arrive at this revelation by exploiting the flux freezing theorem in observed, accreting, magnetized WDs, which brings in Landau quantization of the underlying electron degenerate gas. This essay presents the calculations which pave the way for the ultimate (significantly super-Chandrasekhar) mass limit of WDs, heralding a paradigm shift 80 years after Chandrasekhar's discovery.

Modern cosmological simulations predict that the first generation of stars formed with a mass scale around 100 M_⊙ about 300–400 million years after the Big Bang. When the first stars reached the end of their lives, many of them might have died as energetic supernovae (SNe) that could have significantly affected the early Universe via injecting large amounts of energy and metals into the primordial intergalactic medium. In this paper, we review the current models of the first SNe by discussing on the relevant background physics, computational methods and the latest results.

We propose a new probe to test the nature of gravity at various redshifts through large-scale cosmological observations. We use our void catalog, extracted from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS, DR10), to trace the distribution of matter along the lines of sight to SNe Ia that are selected from the Union II catalog. We study the relation between SNe Ia luminosities and convergence and also the peculiar velocities of the sources. We show that the effects, on SNe Ia luminosities, of convergence and of peculiar velocities predicted by the theory of general relativity and theories of modified gravities are different and hence provide a new probe of gravity at various redshifts. We show that the present sparse large-scale data does not allow us to determine any statistically-significant deviation from the theory of general relativity but future more comprehensive surveys should provide us with means for such an exploration.

We establish the importance of modified Einstein’s gravity (MG) in white dwarfs (WDs) for the first time in the literature. We show that MG leads to significantly sub- and super-Chandrasekhar limiting mass WDs, depending on a single model parameter. However, conventional WDs on approaching Chandrasekhar’s limit are expected to trigger Type Ia supernovae (SNeIa), a key to unravel the evolutionary history of the universe. Nevertheless, observations of several peculiar, under- and over-luminous SNeIa argue for the limiting mass widely different from Chandrasekhar’s limit. Explosions of MG induced sub- and super-Chandrasekhar limiting mass WDs explain under- and over-luminous SNeIa respectively, thus unifying these two apparently disjoint sub-classes. Our discovery questions both the global validity of Einstein’s gravity and the uniqueness of Chandrasekhar’s limit.

Natures of progenitors of type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) have not yet been clarified. There has been long and intensive discussion on whether the so-called single degenerate (SD) scenario or the double degenerate (DD) scenario, or anything else, could explain a major population of SNe Ia, but the conclusion has not yet been reached. With rapidly increasing observational data and new theoretical ideas, the field of studying the SN Ia progenitors has been quickly developing, and various new insights have been obtained in recent years. This paper aims at providing a summary of the current situation regarding the SN Ia progenitors, both in theory and observations. It seems difficult to explain the emerging diversity seen in observations of SNe Ia by a single population, and we emphasize that it is important to clarify links between different progenitor scenarios and different sub-classes of SNe Ia.

After the big bang, production of heavy elements in the early universe takes place starting from the formation of the first (Pop III) stars, their evolution, and explosion. The Pop III supernova (SN) explosions have strong dynamical, thermal, and chemical feedback on the formation of subsequent stars and evolution of galaxies. However, the nature of Pop III stars/supernovae (SNe) have not been well-understood. The signature of nucleosynthesis yields of the first SN can be seen in the elemental abundance patterns observed in extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars. We show that the abundance patterns of EMP stars, e.g. the excess of C, Co, Zn relative to Fe, are in better agreement with the yields of hyper-energetic explosions (Hypernovae, (HNe)) rather than normal supernovae. We note the large variation of the abundance patterns of EMP stars propose that such a variation is related to the diversity of the GRB-SNe and posssibly superluminous supernovae (SLSNe). For example, the carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars may be related to the faint SNe (or dark HNe), which could be the explosions induced by relativistic jets. Finally, we examine the various mechanisms of SLSNe.

We use observational data on the magnitude-redshift relation for Type Ia supernovae (SNeIa) together with constraints on the ages of the oldest stars to rule out a higher-dimensional extension of General Relativity with a negative kinetic energy scalar field. This theory is of considerable physical interest because it produces accelerated expansion at both early and late times with a single new field, as in quintessential inflation scenarios. It is also of mathematical interest because it is characterized by an analytic expression for the macroscopic scale factor $a(t)$. We show that cosmological solutions of this theory can be usefully parametrized by a single quantity, the lookback time ${\tau }_{\text{tr}}$ corresponding to the transition from deceleration to acceleration. Supernovae data from the recently released Supernova Cosmology Project (SCP) Union 2.1 compilation single out a narrow range of values for ${\tau }_{\text{tr}}$. In the context of the theory, however, these same values of ${\tau }_{\text{tr}}$ imply that the universe is much older than the oldest observed stars.

Our concept of induced gravitational collapse (IGC paradigm) starting from a supernova occurring with a companion neutron star, has unlocked the understanding of seven different families of gamma ray bursts (GRBs), indicating a path for the formation of black holes in the universe. An authentic laboratory of relativistic astrophysics has been unveiled in which new paradigms have been introduced in order to advance knowledge of the most energetic, distant and complex systems in our universe. A novel cosmic matrix paradigm has been introduced at a relativistic cosmic level, which parallels the concept of an S-matrix introduced by Feynmann, Wheeler and Heisenberg in the quantum world of microphysics. Here the “in” states are represented by a neutron star and a supernova, while the “out” states, generated within less than a second, are a new neutron star and a black hole. This novel field of research needs very powerful technological observations in all wavelengths ranging from radio through optical, X-ray and gamma ray radiation all the way up to ultra-high-energy cosmic rays.

When photons from distant galaxies and stars pass through our neighboring environment, the wavelengths of the photons would be shifted by our local gravitational potential. This local gravitational redshift effect can potentially have an impact on the measurement of cosmological distance–redshift relation. Using available supernovae data, Wojtak, Davis and Wiis [J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.2015 (2015) 025] found seemingly large biases of cosmological parameters for some extended models (nonflat $\mathrm{\Lambda }$CDM, $w$CDM, etc.). Huang [Phys. Rev. D91 (2015) 121301] pointed out that, however, the biases can be reduced to a negligible level if cosmic microwave background (CMB) data are added to break the strong degeneracy between parameters in the extended models. In this paper, we forecast the cosmological bias due to local gravitational redshifts for a future WFIRST-like supernovae survey. We find that the local gravitational redshift effect remains negligible, provided that CMB data or some future redshift survey data are added to break the degeneracy between parameters.

Understanding how massive stars die as supernovae (SNe) is a crucial question in modern astrophysics. SNe are powerful stellar explosions and key drivers in the cosmic baryonic cycles by injecting their explosion energy and heavy elements to the interstellar medium that forms new stars. After decades of effort, astrophysicists have built up a stand model for the explosion mechanism of massive stars. However, this model is challenged by new kinds of stellar explosions discovered in the recent transit surveys. In particular, the new population called superluminous SNe, which are a hundred times brighter than typical SNe, is revolutionizing our understanding of SNe. New studies suggest the superluminous SNe are associated with the unusual demise of very massive stars and their extreme SNe powered by the radioactive isotopes or compact objects formed after the explosion. Studying these SNe fills a gap of knowledge between the death of massive stars and their explosions; furthermore, we may apply their intense luminosity to light up the distant universe. This paper aims to provide a timely review of superluminous SNe physics, focusing on the latest development of their theoretical models.

The connection between gamma ray bursts and supernovae is studied using a temperature-dependent vacuum model. A harmonically bound particle–antiparticle system is consistent with both Hawking radiation and Casimir effect, therefore, the Maxwell–Sellmeier model correlates the speed of light to temperature. According to quantum field theory, Lorentz invariance is violated only for temperatures larger than $4\times 10^9$K. Introducing in the temperature distribution of a 2D simulation for a type Ia supernova the speed of light temperature dependence proposed in this paper, results a speed of light distribution. A theoretical snapshot of this distribution at an arbitrary distance is consistent with photon photo finish resulted from experiments. Variable speed of light shows that supernova could be accompanied by gamma-ray bursts.

Nuclear matter incompressibility is calculated in the framework of the relativistic mean field theory. Asymmetry reduces the incompressibility. The isothermal incompressibility decreases with increasing temperature, and the isentropic one decreases with increasing entropy. Attention is given to the incompressibility at supernova collapse conditions.

We study the effects produced by interactions among neutrinos upon extra-galactic neutrino-fluxes. We have assumed a separable type of pair interactions and performed a transformation to a quasi-particle mean field followed by a Tamm–Damcoff diagonalization. In doing so, we have adopted techniques originated in the quantum many-body problem, and adapted them to this specific case. The solutions of the associated eigenvalue problem provide us with energies and amplitudes which are then used to construct the neutrino response functions at finite density and temperature. The formalism is applied to the description of neutrinos produced in a SN environment.