What is your field of interest?

Evan O’Connor, Associate Professor in computational astrophysics and supernovae. Image credit: Evan O’Connor.

I'm interested in one of the most extreme events in the Universe, core-collapse supernovae. Core collapse supernovae are brilliant explosions that occur at the end of a massive star's life. I simulate these explosions on some of the largest supercomputers in the world.

Could you please describe your current project?

We think that most massive stars explode and leave behind a neutron star.  However, that is not the only possibility, black holes can be made too!  Which stars make neutron stars, and which ones make black holes is a major focus of my work.

What are the expectations and/or challenges for the future?

With our current technology, we can only obtain observational data about what is happening the core of a supernova from a galactic supernova, and they only occur a few times per century, so we patiently wait. Nevertheless, we can make progress theoretically, but are always limited by computational resources.  We strive to make our computational codes faster and more efficient by utilising the newest technology and algorithms.

What part of your research do you find the most exciting?

I’m always amazed that by solving a handful of relatively simple equations (millions of times a second on a supercomputer) we can reproduce things we see in the night sky.

Do you have any advice for prospect astronomers that are interested in your field of expertise?

Learn to solve problems with computers!  This is very helpful in any field of astronomy, but also it is a very useful skill to have even if you don't work in astronomy.

The image shows the beginnings of an explosion in a core-collapse supernova embedded in a massive star. The image is roughly 1000km wide, which is only a small fraction of the star. This particular star is rotating and is magnetised. The cyan color is the supernova shock. The purple color in the center is the newly formed neutron star. The yellow, twisty, jet-like, feature is due to the magnetic field which is helping the explosion develop. Image credit: Evan O’Connor/yt.