LATE SPECTRAL EVOLUTION OF THE EJECTA AND REVERSE SHOCK IN SN 1987A

We present observations with the Very Large Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) of the broad emission lines from the inner ejecta and reverse shock of SN 1987A from 1999 February until 2012 January. We detect broad lines from H alpha , H beta , Mg I], Na I, [OI], [CaII], and a feature at ~922...

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Published inThe Astrophysical journal Vol. 768; no. 1; pp. 88 - 22
Main Authors Fransson, Claes, Larsson, Josefin, Spyromilio, Jason, Chevalier, Roger, Gröningsson, Per, Jerkstrand, Anders, Leibundgut, Bruno, McCray, Richard, Challis, Peter, Kirshner, Robert P., Kjaer, Karina, Lundqvist, Peter, Sollerman, Jesper
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.05.2013
Subjects
ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
Asymmetry
COLLISIONS
Deposition
Ejecta
ENERGY ABSORPTION
ENERGY LOSSES
Evolution
EXPLOSIONS
FLUORESCENCE
line: identification
line: profiles
Mathematical models
PEAKS
PHOTOMETRY
Spectra
SUPERNOVAE
supernovae: individual (1987A)
TELESCOPES
X RADIATION
X-rays
X-rays: general
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Summary:We present observations with the Very Large Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) of the broad emission lines from the inner ejecta and reverse shock of SN 1987A from 1999 February until 2012 January. We detect broad lines from H alpha , H beta , Mg I], Na I, [OI], [CaII], and a feature at ~9220 A. We identify the latter line with Mg II [[lambda][lambda]]9218, 9244, which is most likely pumped by Ly alpha fluorescence. The energy deposition of the external X-rays is calculated using explosion models for SN 1987A and we predict that the outer parts of the unshocked ejecta will continue to brighten because of this. The external X-ray illumination also explains the edge-brightened morphology of the ejecta seen in the HST images. We finally discuss evidence for dust in the ejecta from line asymmetries.
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content type line 23
ISSN:0004-637X
1538-4357
1538-4357
DOI:10.1088/0004-637X/768/1/88