The late behavior of supernova 1987A. I. The light curve. II. Gamma-ray transparency of the ejecta
Observations of the late (t = 20-1500 days) bolometric light curve and the gamma-lines and X-rays from supernova 1987A are compared to theoretical models. It is found that 0.073 + or - 0.015 solar masses of freshly synthesized Ni-56 must be present to fit the bolometric light curve. The results place limits on the luminosity and presumed period of the newly formed pulsar/neutron star. In the second half of the paper, the problem of computing the luminosities in gamma-ray lines and in X-rays from supernova 1987A is addressed. High-energy observations suggest the development of large-scale clumping and bubbling of radioactive material in the ejecta. A model is proposed with a hydrogen envelope mass of about 7 solar masses, homologous scale expansion velocities of about 3000 km/s, and an approximately uniform mass distribution. 66 refs.
- Research Organization:
- Chicago Univ., IL (USA); Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5841975
- Journal Information:
- Astrophys. J.; (United States), Vol. 340
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Theoretical light curve of SN 1987A and mixing of hydrogen and nickel in the ejecta
Detection of Broad Hα Emission Lines in the Late-Time Spectra of a Hydrogen-Poor Superluminous Supernova
Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
SUPERNOVAE
GAMMA RADIATION
X RADIATION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
LIMITING VALUES
LUMINOSITY
MAGELLANIC CLOUDS
MASS
MASS DISTRIBUTION
MASS TRANSFER
NEUTRON STARS
NICKEL 56
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
PULSARS
RADIATION TRANSPORT
STAR MODELS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
GALAXIES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOTOPES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NICKEL ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
STARS
SYNTHESIS
VARIABLE STARS
640102* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources