Nucleosynthesis in Core-Collapse Supernovae

A Core-Collapse Supernova explosion occurs when nuclear fusion stops in the core of a massive star. Without a source of energy supplying enough pressure to balance gravity, the core becomes unstable and collapses to form a neutron star. Beyond the neutron star, a shockwave forms which moves outward through the star, causing heavier elements to be created through nuclear fusion. We have been studying the elements that are ejected from a Core-Collapse Supernova using a nuclear code network called XNet, which follows the thermonuclear kinetics. We use the results from a code called Chimera, which explores the mechanism of Core-Collapse Supernova. We are exploring how the composition of the newly-made elements that are ejected by the explosion change over time. In particular, we are studying how well extrapolations from earlier times fit the final result. If the extrapolations fit the final result well, it may be possible to shorten the simulation in order to save on computing costs while still maintaining accurate predictions.