Chandra Observes the End of an Era SN 1987A

Abstract

Updated imaging and photometric results from Chandra observations of SN 1987A, covering the last 16 years, are presented. We find that the 0.5-2 keV light curve has remained constant at ~8x10^-12 erg s^-1 cm^-2 since 9500 days, with the 3-8 keV light curve continuing to increase until at least 10000 days. The expansion rate of the ring is found to be energy dependent, such that after day 6000 the ring expands faster in the 2-10 keV band than it does at energies <2 keV. Images show a reversal of the east-west asymmetry between 7000 and 8000 days after the explosion. The latest images suggest the southeastern side of the equatorial ring is beginning to fade. Consistent with the latest optical and infrared results, our Chandra analysis indicates the blast wave is now leaving the dense equatorial ring, which marks the beginning of a major change in the evolutionary phase of the supernova remnant 1987A.

References in corpus (7)

• The Triple-Ring Nebula around SN1987A: Fingerprint of a binary merger
• Multiple ring nebulae around blue supergiants
• The Destruction of the Circumstellar Ring of SN 1987A
• Spectral and morphological analysis of the remnant of Supernova 1987A with ALMA & ATCA
• Evolutionary Status of SNR 1987A at the Age of Eighteen
• High-resolution radio observations of SNR 1987A at high frequencies
• XMM-Newton observations of SN1987A

Cited by in corpus (26)

• High angular resolution ALMA images of dust and molecules in the SN 1987A ejecta
• Three-dimensional distribution of ejecta in Supernova 1987A at 10 000 days
• Collisionless shock heating of heavy ions in SN 1987A
• The role of jets in exploding supernovae and in shaping their remnants
• The matter beyond the ring: the recent evolution of SN 1987A observed by the Hubble Space Telescope
• JWST NIRSpec observations of Supernova 1987A -- from the inner ejecta to the reverse shock
• Systematic Study of Acceleration Efficiency in Young Supernova Remnants with Nonthermal X-ray Observations
• Detailed X-Ray Mapping of the Shocked Ejecta and Circumstellar Medium in the Galactic Core-Collapse Supernova Remnant G292.0+1.8
• Final Spitzer IRAC Observations of the Rise and Fall of SN 1987A
• Additional evidence for a pulsar wind nebula in the heart of SN 1987A from multi-epoch X-ray data and MHD modeling
• Spectral Evolution of the X-Ray Remnant of SN 1987A: A High-Resolution $Chandra$ HETG Study
• High-cadence Dispersed Spectral Analysis of Supernova Remnant 1987A
• Latest Evolution of the X-Ray Remnant of SN 1987A: Beyond the Inner Ring
• X-Ray Luminous Supernovae: Threats to Terrestrial Biospheres
• A 3D view of molecular hydrogen in Supernova 1987A
• The morphology of the ejecta of SN 1987A at 31 years from 1150 to 10000 Å
• The Exceptional X-ray Evolution of SN1996cr in High Resolution
• Mid-infrared imaging of Supernova 1987A
• Tracing the ejecta structure of SN 1987A: Insights and diagnostics from 3D MHD simulations
• Polarized radio emission unveils the structure of the pre-supernova circumstellar magnetic field and the radio emission in SN1987A
• An Exploration of X-ray Supernova Remnants in the Milky Way and Nearby Galaxies
• Investigating Time Evolution of Thermal Emission from the Putative Neutron Star in SN 1987A for 50+ Years
• Near-infrared evolution of the equatorial ring of SN 1987A
• Unusual X-ray Oxygen Line Ratios of SN 1987A Arising From the Absorption of Galactic Hot Interstellar Medium
• Measuring the initial mass of 44Ti in SN 1987A through the 44Sc emission line
• Bridging the gap between supernovae and their remnants through multi-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling