SN 1987a: Calculations Versus Observations

Abstract

In this report the result of old calculations (Mayle 1985; Woosley, Wilson, Mayle 1986; Mayle, Wilson, Schramm 1987) of collapse driven explosions and new calculations of the kelvin-Helmholtz proto-neutron star cooling will be compared with the neutrino observations of supernova 1987a. The calculations are performed by a modern version of the computer model of Bowers and Wilson 1982. (See Mayle 1985 for more recent improvements).First we give the results of the old calculations. In the collapse, bounce and cooling of the central iron core of a massive star, about 0.1% of the binding energy of the eventual neutron star is emitted in a short deleptonization burst as the bounce shock passes through the photosphere; 5% is emitted in the total deleptonization process; and 95% is released as thermal emission in all neutrino species. In a survey of a wide range of stellar masses, stars in the range 20 to 30 Mθ are found to have the most energetic antineutrino spectra . In calculations where black holes were formed (Woosley, Wilson, Mayle 1986 and Wilson 1971) very little neutrino emission was found associated with black hole formation. The neutrinos associated with BH formation also have low energies. The time history of the neutrino pulse is sensitive to the explosion mechanism. If the mechanism is a prompt exiting through the star of the bounce shock wave, the pulse has a high peak as the shock wave passes near the photosphere. It falls rapidly for the next first few tenths of a second and then declines slowly over several seconds to effectively zero. If no prompt explosion occurs then the shock becomes an accretion shock and matter continues to fall onto the proto-neutron star keeping up the luminosity. After the late time mechanism ejects the envelope the luminosity drops several fold to the luminosity associated with the bare proto-neutron star. During the accretion phase the energy rises to about 15 mev.