Collaborative Research: Constraining Supernova Progenitor Systems and Explosion Mechanisms Through 3D Reconstruction of Supernova Remnants

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Supernova explosions are dramatic events, releasing huge amounts of material back into the space between stars. The investigators will study the remnants of these explosions to better understand the stars that exploded. The team has selected 5 relatively nearby supernova remnants (SNRs) and will combine a variety of observations to create 3-dimensional models of the locations, and velocities, of parts of the exploded stars. Because the SNRs contain many elements, each brightly radiating at specific wavelengths, the investigators can deduce the composition of the stars just before explosions. These observations will help us understand the remarkable processes leading up to the explosions. The investigators will share their research with the public by creating 3-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of SNRs using their Virtual Reality (VR) technology. The investigator has already demonstrated success with the VR technology. These dynamic visualizations will extend the research experience well beyond the home university, as valuable additions to a variety of public outreach settings. Students from local schools are invited to the Purdue University Envision Center to experience the 3D visualization and learn about astronomy. Supernovae are ideal multi-messenger laboratories that play a key role in the structural and chemical makeup of the universe. The suite of 3D reconstructions they developed will directly address uncertainty in fundamental topics pertaining to supernova explosion dynamics and their evolution to remnant phases that have serious ramifications in many areas of physics and astronomy. The investigators will organize the observations into formats useful for reliable tests of increasingly complex simulations. They will use the reconstructions to predict gravitational wave and neutrino signals of supernovae, and unravel competing effects of dynamical instabilities, rotation and magnetic fields, and pre-supernova stellar interior structure for a variety of supernova types. Purdue University is a member of the NSF-funded Supernova Early Warning System, which will benefit from these 3D reconstructions as it seeks to detect and characterize neutrinos from the next Galactic supernova.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.