Core-collapse supernova explosions accompany the deaths of massive stars. These explosions give birth to neutron stars and black holes and eject solar masses of heavy elements. However, determining the mechanism of explosion has been a half-century journey of great complexity.

Nevertheless, due in part to recent massive suite of 3D simulations performed using the team’s code Fornax on HPC resources, the delayed neutrino-heating mechanism is emerging finally as a robust solution. However, models must not only be shown to explode but the asymptotic state of the blast must be reached to determine many of the observables. Hence, the key goals of this INCITE project are to determine such observables as the explosion energies and neutron star residual masses. To accomplish this, the team is simulating a collection of massive-star progenitor models to ate times after bounce. The team plans to double this long-term effort because of code speed-ups and improvements. Hence, the overall scientific goal of simulating 3D models to late times has not changed but has in fact been augmented.

As a byproduct of this investigation, the researchers will generate libraries of supernova simulation data; neutrino, nucleosynthetic, and gravitational-wave signatures; and the systematics of supernova explosion energy, neutron star mass, pulsar kicks, and spins, and debris morphologies with progenitor. Hence, this INCITE project has been constructed to build on the team’s recent palpable progress, capture this pivotal moment in theoretical astrophysics when codes and resources are aligning and erect a standard model for core-collapse supernova explosions in the emerging era of the exascale.