Princeton University Donald R. Hamilton Colloquium Series

Abstract: The theory of compact-object birth and core-collapse supernovae is now entering a new and productive phase of rapid insight into themechanism and systematics of explosion. The panoramic perspective provided by the recent access to tens of state-of-the-art 3D core-collapse simulations taken to late times has revealed potential correlations between supernova observables and physical trends with progenitors. A productive dialogue is slowly emerging between theorists and observers that promises to transform the study of core-collapse supernova explosions and to inaugurate an new era of physical characterization missing from the past. Models now explode without artiface and theory is on the cusp of being able to make quantitative predictions that seemed out of reach only a few years ago. We have discovered correlations between explosion energy, neutron star gravitational birth masses, the yields of the chemical elements, debris morphologies, pulsar kicks, and neutrino and gravitational-wave emissions. However, while I contend the core-collapse supernova problem is in broad outline and qualitatively now solved, there is much yet to do in supernova theory before it can robustly and quantitatively explain the variety of supernova observations. I will close with suggested paths forward to achieve this ultimate goal.