Presupernova evolution of massive stars

Technical Report · Thu Dec 15 04:00:00 EST 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5261383· OSTI ID:5261383

Weaver, T A; Zimmerman, G B; Woosley, S E

Population I stars of 15 M/sub mass/ and 25 M/sub mass/ have been evolved from the zero-age main sequence through iron core collapse utilizing a numerical model that incorporates both implicit hydrodynamics and a detailed treatment of nuclear reactions. The stars end their presupernova evolution as red supergiants with photospheric radii of 3.9 x 10/sup 13/ cm and 6.7 x 10/sup 13/ cm, respectively, and density structures similar to those invoked to explain Type II supernova light curves on a strictly hydrodynamic basis. Both stars are found to form substantially neutronized ''iron'' cores of 1.56 M/sub mass/ and 1.61 M/sub mass/, and central electron abundances of 0.427 and 0.439 moles/g, respectively, during hydrostatic silicon burning. Just prior to collapse, the abundances of the elements in the 25 M/sub mass/ star (excluding the neutronized iron core) have ratios strikingly close to their solar system values over the mass range from oxygen to calcium, while the 15 M/sub mass/ star is characterized by large enhancements of Ne, Mg, and Si. It is pointed out on nucleosynthetic grounds that the mass of the neutronized core must represent a lower limit to the mass of the neutron star or black hole remnant that stars in this mass range can normally produce.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5261383
• Report Number(s): UCRL-80460
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
640103 -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Quasi-Stellar
Radio
& X-Ray Sources-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ATMOSPHERES
BLACK HOLES
CALCIUM
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DENSITY
DIMENSIONS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
FERMIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
FLUIDS
GIANT STARS
GRAVITATIONAL COLLAPSE
HYDRODYNAMICS
IRON
LEPTONS
LIMITING VALUES
MAGNESIUM
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
MASS
MECHANICS
METALS
NEON
NEUTRON STARS
NONMETALS
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
OXYGEN
PHOTOSPHERE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RARE GASES
RED GIANT STARS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SOLAR ATMOSPHERE
STAR EVOLUTION
STARS
STRUCTURAL MODELS
SUPERGIANT STARS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS