Supernova step of core collapse

[GIASAL]

The steps involved in the collapse of a supernova's core are often incomplete and often contradictory.
Could you point me to a resource where these steps are clearly indicated?
Thanks

 

[renormalize]

The steps involved in the collapse of a supernova's core are often incomplete and often contradictory.

Can you please cite specific textbooks or references that you think are incomplete or contradictory about supernova collapse?

 

[GIASAL]

I aimed to accurately list the various stages of the implosion. However, there are differences in the order of succession, or some steps are ignored.
For example, Wiki has a different description of the collapse, such as this site:
https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/c/core-collapse

 

[renormalize]

I aimed to accurately list the various stages of the implosion.

Sorry, did I miss this? Where do you list the various stages of the implosion?

However, there are differences in the order of succession, or some steps are ignored.

But what specifically are the differences or ignored steps that concern you?

For example, Wiki has a different description of the collapse, such as this site:
https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/c/core-collapse

Good, you've cited one description of stellar collapse. Now can you reference another description that you judge to be different and list those differences so we can compare and comment?

 

[GIASAL]

Thanks for your reply.
To better understand the differences, are you aware of any particularly comprehensive resources on stellar collapse? That way I can better explain the differences.
I need to write the differences I found carefully to be accurate.
Can I send you the text of my research so you can give me some advice?

 

[Matterwave]

Supernovae are quite complex phenomena and are generally only lightly covered at the undergraduate level. You may start to see more comprehensive reviews at the graduate level, in a book like Shapiro and Teukolsky "Black Holes, White Dwarfs, and Neutron Stars" -- the ending chapter 18 has a treatment of core collapse supernovae.

However, the detailed mechanisms are still being researched so if you want something truly comprehensive you might have to review the research literature in academic journals.

 

[GIASAL]

Is it possible to write a description of the main phases in a form suitable for secondary schools ?

 

[renormalize]

To better understand the differences, are you aware of any particularly comprehensive resources on stellar collapse?

Yes, but such a comprehensive resource is typically well above High-School level. One good example is:
The evolution and explosion of massive stars, §V.

 

[Matterwave]

Is it possible to write a description of the main phases in a form suitable for secondary schools ?

Yes, but such a treatment necessarily glosses over a lot of details. Details that you might be referring to when you say the treatments you read are "incomplete or contradictory". This is why @renormalize keeps asking you to provide what statements you find contradictory. What treatments you find incomplete.

 

[GIASAL]

Okay. I'll calmly check what I've studied and point out the contradictions.
Thanks.

 

[GIASAL]

Yes, but such a comprehensive resource is typically well above High-School level. One good example is:
The evolution and explosion of massive stars, §V.

Thanks for the link, unfortunately it's not up to my level.

 

[Bandersnatch]

To better understand the differences, are you aware of any particularly comprehensive resources on stellar collapse? That way I can better explain the differences.

Is it possible to write a description of the main phases in a form suitable for secondary schools ?

As was suggested above, these requirements are somewhat contradictory. But I'll suggest something nonetheless.
Go to Open Library, and search for Dina Prialnik's 'An introduction to the theory of stellar structure and evolution'. You can borrow it for free from there.
It's an undergraduate textbook, that should be accessible to an advanced secondary school student familiar with concepts of energy and nuclear reactions. In its equations the text mostly avoids higher calculus, focusing on providing intuitions through rather wordy descriptions. But there's enough maths in there to support understanding, especially if you study the entire thing. I suppose, due to the verbosity, you could even skip the maths completely and still end up with a good working picture of what's going on.
It's a step above of what you can get from the COSMOS website, and can serve both as a proper source for whatever project you're doing, and a basis for further discussion here.
In 2nd edition, core-collapse SNs are covered in chapter 10.2.

 

[berkeman]

I need to write the differences I found carefully to be accurate.

Is it possible to write a description of the main phases in a form suitable for secondary schools ?

BTW, is your question for schoolwork? If we are helping you with your schoolwork assignment in this thread, I should move it to the schoolwork forums.

 

[DrSteve]

So what you're aying is you don't understand the science well enough to know wheteher or not contradictions exist. That's fine, but better to start off that way rather than pretend.

 

[GIASAL]

BTW, is your question for schoolwork? If we are helping you with your schoolwork assignment in this thread, I should move it to the schoolwork forums.

Hi. I'm not a student, I'm an Italian astronomy enthusiast, and an older one at that. I enjoy disseminating knowledge, but obviously keeping in mind my skills.

 

[GIASAL]

I read
mass nears the Chandrasekhar mass limit (), the atoms become relativistic
What does it mean that atoms become "relativistic"? That the motion due to thermal energy causes atoms to have speeds close to that of light; clearly, they cannot match that of light. What are the consequences of electrons becoming relativistic?
It also talks about atoms. At this stage, the temperature should be 10 billion degrees: matter is completely ionized, so the nuclei become relativistic.

 

[Bandersnatch]

Can you please always cite the source you're referring to?
As you say, there are no atoms as such in the core, just ionised nuclei and electron gas. The source might be talking about the degenerate electron gas becoming relativistic as the electrons are forced into higher energy levels, which alters the pressure it's able to exert. But I can't be sure not having seen the source. I don't think this bit is crucial to the process, though.

 

[GIASAL]

Can you please always cite the source you're referring to?
As you say, there are no atoms as such in the core, just ionised nuclei and electron gas. The source might be talking about the degenerate electron gas becoming relativistic as the electrons are forced into higher energy levels, which alters the pressure it's able to exert. But I can't be sure not having seen the source. I don't think this bit is crucial to the process, though.

Here is the link:
https://www.physics.rutgers.edu/analyze/wiki/cc_supernovae.html
I noticed you used the term electron gas.
Doing an internet search, I summarized it like this:
Electron gas refers to a theoretical model in which electrons are considered as a gas of free or interacting particles moving within a material (such as metals) or in a confined space. Is that correct?

 

[Bandersnatch]

More or less. In this context it's specifically an idealised 'Fermi gas', so non-interacting. You can read more about this on Wikipedia, along with maybe an article on 'degenerate matter'.
But I'd much rather recommend you study that book I indicated earlier, as it should - as far as I remember - go through these concepts in steps and at a consistent level. Studying from a collection of sundry articles will cause issues with both under and over explaining, and inconsistent terminology.