2009/06/09 by James E. Dale, J. E. Dale, Richard Wünsch +4
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics #Classical mechanics #Fragmentation (computing) #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Geometry #Gravitation #Mechanics #Optics #Perpendicular #Physics #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Shell (structure) #Smoothed-particle hydrodynamics #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #Wavelength #astro-ph.GA
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15213.x
13 pages, 10 figures, accepted by MNRAS
arxiv created 2009/06/09 · openalex publication_date 2009/08/19 · arxiv updated 2015/05/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We investigate the gravitational fragmentation of expanding shells in the context of the linear thin-shell analysis. We make use of two very different numerical schemes; the flash adaptive mesh refinement code and a version of the Benz smoothed particle hydrodynamics code. We find that the agreement between the two codes is excellent. We use our numerical results to test the thin-shell approximation and we find that the external pressure applied to the shell has a strong effect on the fragmentation process. In cases where shells are not pressure-confined, the shells thicken as they expand and hydrodynamic flows perpendicular to the plane of the shell suppress fragmentation at short wavelengths. If the shells are pressure-confined internally and externally, so that their thickness remains approximately constant during their expansion, the agreement with the analytical solution is better.