Plasma Pressure Driven Asymmetric Supernovae and Highly Collimated Gamma-Ray Bursts

Abstract

During the process of collapse of a massive star, a cavity is generated between the central iron core and an outer stellar envelope. The dynamics of this cavity, filled with plasma and magnetic field of the rapidly rotating proto-magnetar's magnetosphere, is believed to be very relevant in understanding supernovae and gamma-ray bursts. The interactions of the pressurized conducting plasma and the magnetic fields are described by a set of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations with poloidal and toroidal plasma flows not aligned with magnetic fields. A sequence of MHD equilibria in response to the increasing plasma pressure in the cavity, by continuous filling from the rotating magnetosphere, is solved to account for asymmetric supernovae, highly collimated gamma-ray burst jets, and also active galactic nucleus plasma torus. It is shown that the magnetosphere of the central compact star is likely the central engine of supernova and gamma-ray burst by feeding them plasma, magnetic energy, and rotational energy.