Multi-messenger Autopsies of Stellar Death

Abstract: The expanding zoo of astronomical transients has become one of the most important driving forces of scientific discovery in extreme astrophysics. Increasingly sophisticated all-sky surveys are uncovering unexpected phenomena that are forcing radical revisions to long accepted models of massive star evolution and their compact remnant objects. These discoveries, which will increase by orders of magnitude in the upcoming decade, are shaping the priorities of the next generation of science facilities such as the Rubin Observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope, and Extremely Large Telescopes.I will review how radio-through-X-ray investigations of transients are revolutionizing our understanding of stellar death and its myriad impacts. This includes the terminal and often dramatic evolutionary phases massive stars pass though when approaching core collapse; the physical mechanisms behind the subsequent supernova explosion; and the formation of powerful compact objects that can participate in the explosion dynamics. I will also discuss how the new synergy between electromagnetic, neutrino, and gravitational wave facilities can enable transformative progress towards finally solving the enigma of core collapse by accurately interpreting the multi-messenger signals from the next Galactic supernova, which will first be detected by the global network of neutrino facilities known as the Supernova Early Warning System