Pre-explosion dynamo in the cores of massive stars

Abstract

We propose a speculative scenario where dynamo amplification of magnetic fields in the core convective shells of massive stars, tens of years to hours before they explode, leads to envelope expansion and enhanced mass loss rate, resulting in pre-explosion outbursts (PEOs). The convective luminosity in the burning shells of carbon, neon, oxygen, and then silicon, are very high. Based on the behavior of active main sequence stars we speculate that the convective shells can trigger magnetic activity with a power of about 0.001 times the convective luminosity. Magnetic flux tubes might buoy outward, and deposit their energy in the outer parts of the envelope. This in turn might lead to the expansion of the envelope and to an enhanced mass loss rate. If a close binary companion is present, mass transfer might take place and lead to an energetic outburst. The magnetic activity requires minimum core rotation and that the stochastic magnetic activity be on its high phase. Only in rare cases these conditions are met, accounting for that only the minority of core collapse supernovae (CCSNe) experience PEO. Such a pre-explosion magnetic activity might have implications for the explosion mechanism itself.

MNRAS, in press

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Cited by in corpus (14)

• Pre-Supernova Outbursts via Wave Heating in Massive Stars I: Red Supergiants
• Explaining iPTF14hls as a common envelope jets supernova
• Common envelope jets supernova (CEJSN) impostors resulting from a neutron star companion
• The role of jets in exploding supernovae and in shaping their remnants
• Radiation hydrodynamical simulations of eruptive mass Loss from progenitors of Type Ibn/IIn supernovae
• Hydrodynamic Simulations of Pre-Supernova Outbursts in Red Supergiants: Asphericity and Mass Loss
• Asymmetric core collapse of rapidly rotating massive star
• The two promising scenarios to explode core collapse supernovae
• A pre-explosion extended effervescent zone around core collapse supernova progenitors
• CHIPS: Complete History of Interaction-Powered Supernovae
• Pre-supernova outbursts of massive stars in the presence of a neutron star companion
• Pre-supernova outbursts by core magnetic activity
• Rapid decline in the lightcurves of luminous supernovae by jet-driven bipolar explosions
• Rare events of a peculiar thermonuclear supernova that precedes a core collapse supernova