Yea; supernova is caused by the star fusing together heavier elements (it runs out of light gaseous elements to fuse and create more gas and instead starts fusing gasses into rocks minerals and metals) this exponentially increases the star's gravity until the mass to gravity ratio becomes SOO extreme that the star collapses in on it self creates a black hole and the explosion following the creation (fusion of elements so exponentially a black hole is made) of the black hole jettisons the star's outer 60-98% of matter/mass a crossed millions to thousands of trillions of miles (a few light years to few dozen light years in every direction). All you have to do is artificially (prematurely) get the star to start fusing gasses into heavier elements and do it on a wide enough scale to kick start the super nova chain reaction.