Core-Collapse Supernovae at the Threshold

Despite of still bothering uncertainties and ongoing controversy, the convectively supported neutrino-heating mechanism (1) must be considered as a promising way to explain supernova explosions of massive stars. Neutrinos drive the evolution of the collapsing stellar core and of the forming neutron star and dominate the event energetically by carrying away about 99% of the gravitational binding energy of the compact remnant. A detailed description of their processes in models which couple (relativistic) hydrodynamics and accurate neutrino transport is therefore indispensable for making progress towards an understanding of the remnant-progenitor connection, supernova energetics, explosion asymmetries, pulsar kicks, nucleosynthesis, and observable neutrino and gravitational-wave signals. It is a necessary ingredient in any calculation which claims a higher degree of realism.