A comparison of 2D Magnetohydrodynamic supernova simulations with the CoCoNuT-FMT and Aenus-Alcar codes

Abstract

ABSTRACT Code comparisons are a valuable tool for the verification of supernova simulation codes and the quantification of model uncertainties. Here, we present a first comparison of axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) supernova simulations with the CoCoNuT-FMT and Aenus-Alcar codes, which use distinct methods for treating the MHD induction equation and the neutrino transport. We run two sets of simulations of a rapidly rotating 35M⊙ gamma-ray burst progenitor model with different choices for the initial field strength, namely $10^{12}\, \mathrm{G}$ for the maximum poloidal and toroidal field in the strong-field case and $10^{10}\, \mathrm{G}$ in the weak-field case. We also investigate the influence of the Riemann solver and the resolution in CoCoNuT-FMT. The dynamics is qualitatively similar for both codes and robust with respect to these numerical details, with a rapid magnetorotational explosion in the strong-field case and a delayed neutrino-driven explosion in the weak-field case. Despite relatively similar shock trajectories, we find sizeable differences in many other global metrics of the dynamics, like the explosion energy and the magnetic energy of the proto-neutron star. Further differences emerge upon closer inspection, for example, the disc-like surface structure of the proto-neutron star proves high sensitivity to numerical details. The electron fraction distribution in the ejecta as a crucial determinant for the nucleosynthesis is qualitatively robust, but the extent of neutron- or proton-rich tails is sensitive to numerical details. Due to the complexity of the dynamics, the ultimate cause of model differences can rarely be uniquely identified, but our comparison helps gauge uncertainties inherent in current MHD supernova simulations.