Treating Unresolvable Flame Physics in Simulations of Thermonuclear Supernovae

Thermonuclear supernovae are powered by the explosive nuclear fusion of stellar-processed elements (generally carbon and oxygen) to radioactive nickel, which is ejected along with other burning products to form an expanding remnant and whose radioactive decay powers the observed transient's extraordinary brightness. The most remarkable class of these events is the supernovae of Type Ia (SN Ia), which are noted for their lack of hydrogen spectral lines, silicon spectral features indicative of strongly outflowing gas, and their remarkable homogeneity as a class. After introducing SN Ia explosions, I discuss the physical scales that are important for understanding the challenges faced in simulating flames in thermonuclear supernovae. I then review the techniques applied to this problem in simulations of supernovae and give some descriptions of what the future might hold for improvements to these techniques.