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Mapping high-velocity h-alpha and lyman-alpha emission from supernova 1987a
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Sonneborn, George Burrows, David N. Garnavich, Peter France, Kevin McCray, Richard Frank, Kari A. Smith, Nathan Lawrence, Stephen S. Challis, Peter Chevalier, Roger A. Lundqvist, Peter Larsson, Josefin Kirshner, Robert P. Heng, Kevin Fransson Sr., Claes |
| Copyright Year | 2015 |
| Description | We present new Hubble Space Telescope images of high-velocity H-alpha and Lyman-alpha emission in the outer debris of SN 1987A. The H-alpha images are dominated by emission from hydrogen atoms crossing the reverse shock. For the first time we observe emission from the reverse shock surface well above and below the equatorial ring, suggesting a bipolar or conical structure perpendicular to the ring plane. Using the H-alpha imaging, we measure the mass flux of hydrogen atoms crossing the reverse shock front, in the velocity intervals (â7,500 < V(sub obs) < â2,800 km/s) and (1,000 < V(sub obs) < 7,500 km/s), ËM(sub H) = 1.2 Ã 10(exp â3) M/ y. We also present the first Lyman-alpha imaging of the whole remnant and new Chandra X-ray observations. Comparing the spatial distribution of the Lyman-alpha and X-ray emission, we observe that the majority of the high-velocity Lyman-alpha emission originates interior to the equatorial ring. The observed Lyman-alpha/H-alpha photon ratio, R(L-alpha/H-alpha) approx. = 17, is significantly higher than the theoretically predicted ratio of approx. = 5 for neutral atoms crossing the reverse shock front. We attribute this excess to Lyman-alpha emission produced by X-ray heating of the outer debris. The spatial orientation of the Lyman-alpha and X-ray emission suggests that X-ray heating of the outer debris is the dominant Lyman-alpha production mechanism in SN 1987A at this phase in its evolution. |
| File Size | 654941 |
| Page Count | 15 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_20150004443 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t7cs0tm21 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 2015-03-03 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | High-velocity Mapping Lyman X Rays Lyman Alpha Radiation Shock Fronts Hubble Space Telescope Bipolarity Imaging Techniques H Alpha Line Hydrogen Atoms Photons Supernova 1987a X Ray Astrophysics Facility Neutral Atoms Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
