Turbulent times: When stars approach

(Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS)) Using new methods, astrophysicists from the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS), Germany, simulate the common-envelope phase of binary stars, discovering dynamic irregularities that may help to explain how supernovae evolve. They used and adapted the AREPO code for hydrodynamic simulations . It solves the equations on a moving mesh that follows the mass flow, and thus enhances the accuracy of the model.