Magnetic field amplification and particle acceleration in the radio supernova.

Theoretical models of the radio emission following outbursts of extragalactic supernovae are compared and analyzed. It is shown that the model of Chevalier (1982), involving a blast wave in the presupernova stellar wind, is adequate if supplemented by mechanisms for generating the required 0.1-G magnetic fields and accelerating the charged particles. Density enhancement in the interaction zone between the ejected envelope and the stellar wind is found to be accompanied by an amplification of the magnetic field, while small-scale turbulence near the shock front can produce the required electron and proton accelerations. These mechanisms are considered more successfull in predicting the observed spectra and time evolution than the pulsarlike models of Pacini and Salvati (1981) or Shklovskii (1981).