The Road to Black Hole Formation and Gamma-Ray Bursts - Bringing together Core-Collapse Supernova Theory and Numerical Relativity

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Dr. Christian Ott (California Institute of Technology) will combine the modeling techniques of numerical relativity and of core-collapse supernova theory to study black hole formation in the late stages of the collapse of massive star cores. He and his collaborators intend to establish the dependence of black hole formation on progenitor star mass, rotational configuration, nuclear equation of state, and neutrino luminosity/heating. The aims include constraining the progenitor characteristics that may lead to collapsar-type gamma-ray bursts and improving estimates of the stellar-mass black hole formation rate in the universe.The results of the project will improve knowledge of the connection between core collapse supernovae and black hole production, and should result in improved estimates of the stellar-mass black hole formation rate. Furthermore, gravitational wave signals extracted from the simulations and improved rate estimates for compact binary systems will be made available. This project will contribute to the training of a graduate student in numerical general relativity, supernova theory, and computational physics. The results, codes, and microphysics inputs of the project will be made publically available to facilitate future research and training of students. Visualizations and animations resulting from the simulations will be used in ongoing outreach projects of the group.