Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident
Published on: December 14, 2017
The mechanism(s) of core-collapse supernovae
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, 567 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA couchsea@msu.edu.
Abstract:
Core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are the explosions that attend the deaths of massive stars. Despite decades of research, several aspects of the mechanism that drives these explosions remain uncertain and the subjects of continued investigation. In this short review, I will give an overview of the CCSN mechanism and current research in the field. In particular, I will focus on recent results from three-dimensional simulations and the impact of turbulence and detailed non-spherical progenitor structure on CCSNe. This contribution is based on a talk given at the 'Bridging the Gap' workshop at Chicheley Hall on 2 June 2016.This article is part of the themed issue 'Bridging the gap: from massive stars to supernovae'.
Related Concept Videos
Nuclear Stability
To hold positively charged protons together...
Nuclear Fusion
A helium nucleus has a mass that is 0.7% less than that of four hydrogen nuclei; this lost mass is converted into energy during the fusion. This reaction produces about...
Nuclear Fission
SN1 Reaction: Mechanism
Firstly, the haloalkane ionizes to generate a carbocation intermediate and a halide ion. This heterolytic cleavage is highly endothermic with large activation energy. The ionization of the substrate, facilitated by a...
SN2 Reaction: Mechanism
The presence of the more electronegative halogen in the substrate creates a polarized carbon-halide bond. The halide pulls the electron cloud generating an electrophilic center at the carbon atom. Thus, the carbon atom carries a partial positive charge while the halide has a...
Nuclear Transmutation

