SN CSM Interaction

Most of this material is taken from a review article appearing in the journal Universe.

Supernovae

Supernovae are among the most energetic phenomena in the universe, marking the explosive demise of stars. Stars with initial masses ≈3–8 M_⊙ end their lives as sufficiently massive (≈0.9–1.1 M_⊙) carbon–oxygen white dwarfs, which in close binaries may accrete mass until approaching the Chandrasekhar limit (≈1.4 M_⊙), leading to thermonuclear (Type Ia) supernovae. More massive stars (≳8 M_⊙) proceed through advanced burning stages, form iron cores, and undergo core collapse, producing neutron stars or black holes and launching core-collapse supernovae.

Figure 1. A massive star loses mass during its evolutionary phases and creates circumstellar medium (CSM).