Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2016
The impact of SN1987a on theoretical studies of the specific mechanism generating Type II supernovae is examined. The explosion energy extracted from analysis of the light curve for SN1987a is on the edge of distinguishing between a prompt explosion from a hydrodynamic shock and a delayed, neutrino-induced, explosion. The detection of neutrinos from 1987a is also reanalysed.