The origin of the Crab Nebula and the electron capture supernova in 8-10 m solar mass stars

Technical Report · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:5868159

Nomoto, K

The chemical composition of the Crab Nebula is compared with several presupernova models. The small carbon and oxygen abundances in the helium-rich nebula are consistent with only the presupernova model of the star whose main sequence mass was MMS approximately 8-9.5 M. More massive stars contain too much carbon in the helium layer and smaller mass stars do not leave neutron stars. The progenitor star of the Crab Nebula lost appreciable part of the hydrogen-rich envelope before the hydrogen-rich and helium layers were mixed by convection. Finally it exploded as the electron capture suprnova the O+Ne+Mg core collapsed to form a neutron star and only the extended helium-rich envelope was ejected by the weak shock wave.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center
• OSTI ID: 5868159
• Report Number(s): NASA-TM-82179
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CARBON
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
CRAB NEBULA
ELEMENTS
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
FLUIDS
GASES
HELIUM
MAGNESIUM
METALS
NEBULAE
NEON
NEUTRON STARS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
RARE GASES
STARS
SUPERNOVA REMNANTS
SUPERNOVAE
VARIABLE STARS