Dartmouth Events

ABSTRACT: Core-collapse supernovae mark the catastrophic deaths of
massive stars. They are among the most powerful explosions in the
universe that affect many aspects of their host galaxies, and produce
a variety of exotic objects including neutron stars, black holes, and
some gamma-ray bursts.  Somewhat unsettling, however, is the fact that
fundamental properties of supernovae with regard to their progenitor
systems and explosion mechanisms remain poorly understood. Indeed,
questions such as "Which stars explode?" and "How do stars explode?"
do not have clear answers. I will review recent radio-through-X-ray
observations that are revolutionizing our understanding of supernova
explosions, with some emphasis on my own research that utilizes
investigations of the entire supernova life cycle - from progenitor
star, to explosion, to remnant - in order to "reverse engineer" key
aspects of their dramatic and turbulent nature.