Interstellar light echoes around SN 1987A

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/185245· OSTI ID:6684823

Chevalier, R A; Emmering, R T

The observed light echoes around SN 1987A are modeled by dust in planar clouds roughly 120 and 330 pc in front of the supernova. The expected echo profiles depend on the observed light curve and on the cloud thicknesses. The surface brightness and colors of the echoes are modeled using a mix of silicate and graphite grains appropriate to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The model colors approximately agree with the observed ones. The observed surface brightness suggests that the dust column density in the echo clouds is comparable to the total dust column density in the LMC toward SN 1987A. The model predicts the presence of a narrow ultraviolet echo outside the visual echo; it should be detectable with future ultraviolet observatories and will give information on the supernova near the phase of shock breakout. 21 references.

• Research Organization: Virginia Univ., Charlottesville (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6684823
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 331; ISSN ASJOA
• 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
CARBON
COSMIC DUST
DUSTS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTAL MINERALS
ELEMENTS
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
GALAXIES
GRAPHITE
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
MAGELLANIC CLOUDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MINERALS
NEBULAE
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATIONS
SHOCK WAVES
SILICATES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SPACE
STARS
SUPERNOVAE
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
VARIABLE STARS