Chandra Observations of Supernova 1987A

Abstract

We have been monitoring Supernova (SN) 1987A with {\it Chandra X-Ray Observatory} since 1999. We present a review of previous results from our {\it Chandra} observations, and some preliminary results from new {\it Chandra} data obtained in 2006 and 2007. High resolution imaging and spectroscopic studies of SN 1987A with {\it Chandra} reveal that X-ray emission of SN 1987A originates from the hot gas heated by interaction of the blast wave with the ring-like dense circumstellar medium (CSM) that was produced by the massive progenitor's equatorial stellar winds before the SN explosion. The blast wave is now sweeping through dense CSM all around the inner ring, and thus SN 1987A is rapidly brightening in soft X-rays. At the age of 20 yr (as of 2007 January), X-ray luminosity of SN 1987A is $L_{\mathrm{X}}$ $\sim$ 2.4 $\times$ 10${}^{36}$ ergs s${}^{-1}$ in the 0.5$-$10 keV band. X-ray emission is described by two-component plane shock model with electron temperatures of $kT$ $\sim$ 0.3 and 2 keV. As the shock front interacts with dense CSM all around the inner ring, the X-ray remnant is now expanding at a much slower rate of $v$ $\sim$ 1400 km s${}^{-1}$ than it was until 2004 ($v$ $\sim$ 6000 km s${}^{-1}$).

8 pages, 4 figures (including 2 color figs), 3 tables. To appear in the proceedings of "Supernova 1987A: 20 Years after Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursters", held in Aspen CO. USA, Feb 19-23, 2007

Cited by in corpus (12)

• Multi-frequency Radio Measurements of SN 1987A over 22 Years
• Abundances and density structure of the inner circumstellar ring around SN 1987A
• Infrared and X-Ray Evidence for Circumstellar Grain Destruction by the Blast Wave of Supernova 1987A
• High-Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy of SNR 1987A: Chandra LETG and HETG Observations in 2007
• Time evolution of the line emission from the inner circumstellar ring of SN 1987A and its hot spots
• Fourier Modeling of the Radio Torus Surrounding Supernova 1987A
• Chandra HETG Spectra of SN 1987A at 20 years
• Supernova Remnants in the AKARI IRC Survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud
• A New Evolutionary Phase of Supernova Remnant 1987A
• Expected gamma-ray emission of supernova remnant SN 1987A
• First VLBI Detection of the Radio Remnant of Supernova 1987A: Evidence for Small-scale Features
• CANGAROO-III Search for Gamma Rays from SN 1987A and the Surrounding Field