Enhanced triple-α reaction reduces proton-rich nucleosynthesis in supernovae.

The rate of the triple-α reaction that forms C affects the synthesis of heavy elements in the Ga-Cd range in proton-rich neutrino-driven outflows of core-collapse supernovae. Initially, these outflows contain only protons and neutrons; these later combine to form α particles, then C nuclei via the triple-α reaction, and eventually heavier nuclei as the material expands and cools. Previous experimental work demonstrated that despite the high temperatures encountered in these environments, the reaction is dominated by the well characterized Hoyle state resonance in C nuclei.

A large-scale dynamo and magnetoturbulence in rapidly rotating core-collapse supernovae.

Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence is important in many high-energy astrophysical systems, where instabilities can amplify the local magnetic field over very short timescales. Specifically, the magnetorotational instability and dynamo action have been suggested as a mechanism for the growth of magnetar-strength magnetic fields (of 10(15) gauss and above) and for powering the explosion of a rotating massive star. Such stars are candidate progenitors of type Ic-bl hypernovae, which make up all supernovae that are connected to long γ-ray bursts.