Supernova Remnant 1987A: The Latest Report from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory

Abstract

We continue monitoring supernova remnant (SNR) 1987A with the {\it Chandra X-ray Observatory}. As of 2004 January, bright X-ray spots in the northwest and the southwest are now evident in addition to the bright eastern ring. The overall X-ray spectrum, Since 2002 December, can be described by a planar shock with an electron temperature of $\sim$2.1 keV. The soft X-ray flux is now 8 $\times$ 10${}^{-13}$ ergs cm${}^{-2}$ s${}^{-1}$, which is about five times higher than four years ago. This flux increase rate is consistent with our prediction based on an exponential density distribution along the radius of the SNR between the H{\small II} region and the inner ring. We still have no direct evidence of a central point source, and place an upper limit of $L_X$ = 1.3 $\times$ 10${}^{34}$ ergs s${}^{-1}$ on the 3$-$10 keV band X-ray luminosity.

arXiv comment9 pages, AdSpR in press

References in corpus (8)

• Supernova Remnants in the Sedov Expansion Phase: Thermal X-Ray Emission
• The Line Emission from the Circumstellar Gas Around SN 1987A
• The X-ray Remnant of SN1987A
• Monitoring the Evolution of the X-ray Remnant of SN 1987A
• The X-ray Spectrum of Supernova Remnant 1987A
• A Chandra View of The Morphological And Spectral Evolution of Supernova Remnant 1987A
• HST Spectroscopy of Spot 1 on the Circumstellar Ring of SN 1987A
• The X-ray lightcurve of SN 1987A

Cited by in corpus (9)

• A Chandra/ACIS Study of 30 Doradus I. Superbubbles and Supernova Remnants
• A Chandra/ACIS Study of 30 Doradus II. X-ray Point Sources in the Massive Star Cluster R136 and Beyond
• SN 1987A After 18 Years: Mid-Infrared GEMINI and SPITZER Observations of the Remnant
• Supernova Remnant 1987A: Opening the Future by Reaching the Past
• Evolutionary Status of SNR 1987A at the Age of Eighteen
• Chandra Observations of Shock Kinematics in Supernova Remnant 1987A
• Can a bright and energetic X-ray pulsar be hiding amid the debris of SN 1987A?
• Chandra X-Ray Observatory Observations of Neutron Stars: An Overview
• Six Years of Chandra Observations of Supernova Remnants