Chandra Observes the End of an Era in Sn 1987a

Frank, Kari A.; Zhekov, Svetozar A.; Park, Sangwook; McCray, Richard; Dwek, Eli; Burrows, D. N.

doi:10.3847/0004-637x/829/1/40

Cited by 76 publications

(187 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…This is primarily driven by the bright clump in the western part of the ejecta, as shown in Figures 6 and 13. This region is close to the brightest part of the ring in soft X-rays (Frank et al 2016), in agreement with the scenario of energy input from the X-rays powering Hα emission. consistent with staying constant since the first observation at ∼6800 days.…”

Section: Hαsupporting

confidence: 68%

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Three-Dimensional Distribution of Ejecta in Supernova 1987a at 10,000 Days

Larsson

Fransson

Spyromilio³

et al. 2016

ApJ

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Due to its proximity, SN1987A offers a unique opportunity to directly observe the geometry of a stellar explosion as it unfolds. Here we present spectral and imaging observations of SN1987A obtained ∼10,000 days after the explosion with HST/STIS and VLT/SINFONI at optical and near-infrared wavelengths. These observations allow us to produce the most detailed 3D map of Hα to date, the first 3D maps for 44 Ti. The time evolution of Hα shows that it is predominantly powered by X-rays from the ring, in agreement with previous findings. All lines that have sufficient signal show a similar large-scale 3D structure, with a north-south asymmetry that resembles a broken dipole. This structure correlates with early observations of asymmetries, showing that there is a global asymmetry that extends from the inner core to the outer envelope. On smaller scales, the two brightest lines, Hα and [Si I]+[Fe II] 1.644 μm, show substructures at the level of ∼200-1000 km s -1 and clear differences in their 3D geometries. We discuss these results in the context of explosion models and the properties of dust in the ejecta.

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Section: Hαsupporting

confidence: 68%

“…The optical emission from the ring peaked around 8000 days and is now decaying as the ring is being destroyed by the shocks . The same behavior is seen in the infrared (Arendt et al 2016), while the soft X-ray light curve leveled off at ∼9500 days (Frank et al 2016). The X-ray emission from the ring is also affecting the inner ejecta.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Three-Dimensional Distribution of Ejecta in Supernova 1987a at 10,000 Days

Larsson

Fransson

Spyromilio³

et al. 2016

ApJ

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“…This evolution has been accompanied by the appearance of faint spots outside the ER in the HST images after 9500 days. Observations at other wavelengths have also revealed transitions in the evolution of the ER, including fading in the IR (Arendt et al 2016), a flattening of soft X-rays (Frank et al 2016) and a reacceleration of the blast wave in radio (Cendes et al 2018). All these observations show that the remnant of SN 1987A has entered a new phase.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

The Matter Beyond the Ring: The Recent Evolution of SN 1987A Observed by the Hubble Space Telescope

Larsson

Fransson

Alp

et al. 2019

ApJ

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The nearby SN 1987A offers a spatially resolved view of the evolution of a young supernova (SN) remnant. Here we precent recent Hubble Space Telescope imaging observations of SN 1987A, which we use to study the evolution of the ejecta, the circumstellar equatorial ring (ER) and the increasing emission from material outside the ER. We find that the inner ejecta have been brightening at a gradually slower rate and that the western side has been brighter than the eastern side since ∼ 7000 days. This is expected given that the X-rays from the ER are most likely powering the ejecta emission. At the same time the optical emission from the ER continues to fade linearly with time. The ER is expanding at 680 ± 50 km s −1 , which reflects the typical velocity of transmitted shocks in the dense hotspots. A dozen spots and a rim of diffuse Hα emission have appeared outside the ER since 9500 days. The new spots are more than an order of magnitude fainter than the spots in the ER and also fade faster. We show that the spots and diffuse emission outside the ER may be explained by fast ejecta interacting with high-latitude material that extends from the ER toward the outer rings. Further observations of this emission will make it possible to determine the detailed geometry of the high-latitude material and provide insight into the formation of the rings and the mass-loss history of the progenitor.

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“…6 and 7, and online Movies 2, and 3). Conversely, the X-ray emission continues to be largely dominated by shocked ejecta Frank et al (2016) B18.3 N16.3 S19.8 Fig. 8.…”

Section: Evolution Of the X-ray Emitting Remnantmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrodynamic simulations unravel the progenitor-supernova-remnant connection in SN 1987A

Orlando

Ono

Nagataki

et al. 2020

A&A

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Context. Massive stars end their lives with catastrophic supernova (SN) explosions. Key information on the explosion processes and on the progenitor stars can be extracted from observations of supernova remnants (SNRs), the outcome of SNe. Deciphering these observations however is challenging because of the complex morphology of SNRs. Aims. We aim at linking the dynamical and radiative properties of the remnant of SN 1987A to the geometrical and physical characteristics of the parent aspherical SN explosion and to the internal structure of its progenitor star. Methods. We performed comprehensive three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations which describe the long-term evolution of SN 1987A from the onset of the SN to the full-fledged remnant at the age of 50 years, accounting for the pre-SN structure of the progenitor star. The simulations include all physical processes relevant for the complex phases of SN evolution and for the interaction of the SNR with the highly inhomogeneous ambient environment around SN 1987A. Furthermore the simulations follow the life cycle of elements from the synthesis in the progenitor star, through the nuclear reaction network of the SN, to the enrichment of the circumstellar medium through mixing of chemically homogeneous layers of ejecta. From the simulations, we synthesize observables to be compared with observations. Results. By comparing the model results with observations, we constrained the initial SN anisotropy causing Doppler shifts observed in emission lines of heavy elements from ejecta, and leading to the remnant evolution observed in the X-ray band in the last thirty years. In particular, we found that the high mixing of ejecta unveiled by high redshifts and broadenings of [Fe II] and 44 Ti lines require a highly asymmetric SN explosion channeling a significant fraction of energy along an axis almost lying in the plane of the central equatorial ring around SN 1987A, roughly along the line-of-sight but with an offset of 40 o , with the lobe propagating away from the observer slightly more energetic than the other. Furthermore, we found unambiguously that the observed distribution of ejecta and the dynamical and radiative properties of the SNR can be best reproduced if the structure of the progenitor star was that of a blue supergiant resulted from the merging of two massive stars.

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Chandra Observes the End of an Era in Sn 1987a

Cited by 76 publications

References 36 publications

Three-Dimensional Distribution of Ejecta in Supernova 1987a at 10,000 Days

Three-Dimensional Distribution of Ejecta in Supernova 1987a at 10,000 Days

The Matter Beyond the Ring: The Recent Evolution of SN 1987A Observed by the Hubble Space Telescope

Hydrodynamic simulations unravel the progenitor-supernova-remnant connection in SN 1987A

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