The Bubble-like Interior of the Core-Collapse Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Abstract

The death of massive stars is believed to involve aspheric explosions initiated by the collapse of an iron core. The specifics of how these catastrophic explosions proceed remain uncertain due, in part, to limited observational constraints on various processes that can introduce asymmetries deep inside the star. Here we present near-infrared observations of the young Milky Way supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, descendant of a type IIb core-collapse explosion, and a three-dimensional map of its interior, unshocked ejecta. The remnant's interior has a bubble-like morphology that smoothly connects to and helps explain the multi-ringed structures seen in the remnant's bright reverse shocked main shell of expanding debris. This internal structure may have originated from turbulent mixing processes that encouraged the development of outwardly expanding plumes of radioactive 56Ni-rich ejecta. If this is true, substantial amounts of its decay product, 56Fe, may still reside in these interior cavities.

arXiv comment22 pages, 4 figures, including online supporting material; published in Science on 30 January 2015; interactive web app available at https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~dmilisav/casa-webapp/

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• Three-Dimensional Kinematic Reconstruction of the Optically-Emitting, High-Velocity, Oxygen-Rich Ejecta of Supernova Remnant N132D
• No surviving stellar companion for Cassiopeia A
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• Numerically Modeling the First Peak of the Type IIb SN 2016gkg
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• The dust mass in Cassiopeia A from infrared and optical line flux differences
• A Deep Near-Infrared [Fe II]+[Si I] Emission Line Image of the Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A
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• Asymmetries of Heavy Elements in the Young Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A
• Near-infrared Extinction due to Cool Supernova Dust in Cassiopeia A
• A moderately precise dynamical age for the Homunculus of Eta Carinae based on 13 years of HST imaging
• Spectral modelling of Type IIb Supernovae
• Low-frequency radio absorption in Tycho's supernova remnant
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• Discovery of Stable Titanium at the Northeastern Jet of Cassiopeia A: Need for a Weak Jet Mechanism?
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• The Molecular Clouds associated with the H II Regions/Candidates between $l=207.7^{\circ }$ and $l=211.7^{\circ }$
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• Bridging the gap between supernovae and their remnants through multi-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling