Some aspects of supernova theory: Implosion, explosion and expansion

This lecture on supernova theory is divided into three parts. The first deals with the current stage of our understanding of the conditions required for producing a supernova explosion, together with estimates of the resultant products: neutron star, neutrino flux, radiative flux, mechanical outburst, etc. - i.e., it is a theoretician's supernova. The second part deals more directly with observations of SNRs and their interpretation in terms of blast wave theory. This part could be more accurately called an attempt to 'marry' some gross aspects of the theoretician's supernovae to the bulk properties of observed supernovae - a template for success perhaps. The third part deals with theoretical instabilities, notably the Rayleigh-Taylor and thermal instabilities. Relevant to this section are the observations of X-ray emission, and of optical filamentary 'sheets' and fast moving 'knots', in some SNRs. (orig./WL)