Stellar Core Collapse: A Case Study in the Design of Numerical Algorithms for Scalable Radiation Hydrodynamics

The fields of radiation and hydrodynamics are time-honored disciplines in physics. However, it is only since the nuclear age that the importance of radiation hydrodynamics - a single field studying the interplay of radiation and material hydrodynamics together - has come into prominence. Similarly, it is only since the computer age that physically interesting problems in this field have become tractable. In this article, the authors discuss the process of building a model to study one of the fundamental problems of astrophysics: the supernova explosion of a massive star caused by the collapse of its core. An explanation for the mechanism of this explosion involves the interaction of material hydrodynamics and neutrino radiation.