Colloquium on Apr. 10, 2025

Exploring the Mass Loss History and Shock Breakout Signals of Supernovae

Speaker: Jujia Zhang (YNO)

Venue: SWIFAR Building 2111

Time: 16:00 PM, Thursday, Apr. 10, 2025

Abstract:

Supernovae, the catastrophic explosions marking the final stages of stellar evolution, are intricately linked to Nobel Prize discoveries such as gravitational waves, neutrinos, cosmic acceleration, and compact object formation. They also play climacteric roles in cosmic chemical evolution and the origins of planetary systems. However, our understanding of fundamental questions—such as the progenitor-explosion connection and explosion mechanisms—remains incomplete, limiting progress in supernova research and related fields. A critical pathway to addressing these challenges is the study of extreme physical processes during the earliest phases of supernova explosions, particularly shock breakout and circumstellar material (CSM) structures. This talk will present results from high-cadence observations of nearby supernovae, including the first spectroscopic detection of shock breakout signals and the reconstructed mass-loss history of progenitors. These findings reveal how shocks propagate through asymmetric CSM and quantify the dramatic surge in mass-loss rates of red supergiants before the explosion, offering new insights into the dynamic interplay between stellar evolution and explosion physics.

Report PPT:  SWIFAR_Jujia Zhang.pptx