Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T06:37:58.519Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

SN 1987A: the Light Curve

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 April 2016

Patricia Whitelock ,
John Menzies  and
John A. R. Caldwell
Patricia Whitelock
Affiliation:
Anglo-Australian Observatory, PO Box 296, Epping NSW 2121
John Menzies
Affiliation:
South African Astronomical Observatory
John A. R. Caldwell
Affiliation:
South African Astronomical Observatory
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The changing total luminosity of SN 1987A between 2 and 1200 days after core collapse is illustrated and discussed. From about four weeks after outburst the supernova light curve was dominated by the release of radioactive decay energy; the major contributor being 0.078M⊙ of 56Co. Recently an additional contribution probably from the decay of 57Co and 44Ti appears to be manifesting itself in the light curve. A gradually increasing fraction of the radioactive decay energy has probably been emitted at X- and γ-ray wavelengths; the fluxes are low and no recent measurements have been published. Most of the remaining radioactive decay energy appears to be emitted in the IR and is very difficult to measure. Other factors influencing the interpretation of the recent light curve are the uncertain contribution from long-lived radioactive isotopes and light-echoes. It is therefore premature to make any definitive statements on the contribution from the neutron star, although it is probably less than a few times 1037 erg s−1.

Type
SN 1987A
Information
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , 1991 , pp. 105 - 106
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of Australia 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bouchet, P. et al., 1990, IAU Circ. No. 4839,4933.Google Scholar
Catchpole, R. M. et al., 1987, Mon. Not. R. Astr. Soc., 229, 15P.Google Scholar
Catchpole, R. M. et al., 1988, Mon. Not. R. Astr. Soc., 231, 75P.Google Scholar
Catchpole, R. M. et al., 1989, Mon. Not. R. Astr. Soc., 237, 55P.Google Scholar
Menzies, J. W. et al., 1987, Mon. Not. R. Astr. Soc., 227, 39P.Google Scholar
Roche, P. F. et al., 1989, Nature, 337, 533.Google Scholar
Shigeyama, T. and Nomoto, K., 1990, Astrophys. J., 360, in press.Google Scholar
Suntzeff, N. et al., 1990, IAU Circ. No. 4995, 4996.Google Scholar
Whitelock, P. A. et al., 1988, Mon. Not. R. Astr. Soc., 234, 5P.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitelock, P. A. et al., 1989, Mon. Not. R. Astr. Soc., 240, 7P.Google Scholar
Woosley, S. E. et al., 1989, Astrophys. J., 346, 395.CrossRefGoogle Scholar