Core collapse supernovae are the death throes of massive stars, 8-10 times the mass of our sun. They are the dominant source of elements in the Universe between oxygen and iron and are believed responsible for half the elements heavier than iron. Knowing how they occur is key to understanding how we came to be in the Universe. The core collapse supernova explosion mechanism is not at present known, at least not definitively. We still work within the neutrino heating paradigm discovered by Wilson more than two decades ago, and recent results from our group and others show promise we are closing in on the mechanism. Nonetheless, the extension of the present-day simulations to three dimensions and the addition of new, not-well-explored physics, such as the evolution of magnetic fields in supernova cores, will likely hold significant surprises. I will discuss the results of one-, two-, and three-dimensional core collapse supernova simulations performed by the ORNL-centered supernova effort and discuss the ramifications of each for the future of core collapse supernova modeling. I will also discuss the requirements of three-dimensional multi-physics core collapse supernova modeling and hopefully demonstrate the daunting but nonetheless surmountable computational challenges that lie ahead over the next five to ten years as we take on one of Naturešs computational Grand Challenges.
Coffee and cookies before the presentation at 3:15 pm, and refreshments after the presentation will both be served in Room 128.