Type II supernovae in 12Mcirdotand 15Mcirdotstars: The equation of state and general relativity

We present results of hydrodynamic calculations of iron core collapse and subsequent shock propagation using the 12${\mathrm{M}}_{\mathrm{cirdot}}$ and 15${\mathrm{M}}_{\mathrm{cirdot}}$ initial models of Woosley and Weaver. A softening of the equation of state of neutron-rich nuclear matter at high density and the effects of general relativity play a crucial role in generating successful, prompt explosions. The energy of the explosion varies from (∼1 to 3)×${10}^{51}$ ergs depending upon the degree of softness.