Supernova 1987A:

The Supernova of a Lifetime

Dr. Kari Frank (Pennsylvania State University)

Dr. Steven Boggs (UC San Diego)

Dr. Robert Kirshner (Harvard University; Gordon and

Betty Moore Foundation)

Kimberly Arcand (Chandra/SAO)

Facilitator: Brandon Lawton (STScI)

Science Briefing

April 13, 2017

Additional Resources

http://nasawavelength.org/list/1728

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Videos:

Hubble Chronicles Brightening of Ring around an Exploded Star

ViewSpace – Supernova 1987A: Three Decades of Explosive

Revelations

NASA Press-Releases:

2017 – The Dawn of a New Era for Supernova 1987A

2015 – Star Explosion is Lopsided, Finds NASA’s NuSTAR

Featured Activities:

3D Printing the X-Ray Universe: SN 1987A

NASA 3D Resources

How to Build a Galaxy

Recoloring the Universe with Pencil Code

Additional Activities:

Supernova! Outreach Toolkit

Stellar Evolution: Our Cosmic Connection

Supernova Explosions

The Crawl of the Crab

Universe Discovery Guides – December

Astro101 Slidesets: From Supernovas to Planets

SN 1987A with X-ray Vision

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Kari A. FrankPennsylvania State University

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SN 1987AThe opportunity of a lifetime

• First visible nearby supernova in 400 years!• February 23, 1987• Large Magellanic Cloud (Milky Way

satellite galaxy)

• First …• Progenitor star identified• Observed with modern telescopes• Observed extensively in non-visible light

(X-ray, radio, infrared, …)• Long-term (decades) monitoring

Australian Astronomical Observatory

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Produces elements used in future generations of stars,

planets, and people.

SN 1987A is the first (and so far only) opportunity see entire process.

Distributes elements for recycling.

A Window into the Past and Future

NASA/CXC/M.Weiss; X-ray: NASA/CXC/GSFC/U.Hwang & J.Laming

LingHK/Shutterstock.com

NASA/CXC/SAO

Massive Star

SupernovaSupernova Remnant

Past Future

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Chandra’s X-ray Vision

• Expanding blast wave heats gas up to millions of degrees, causing it to glow with X-rays

• Chandra has looked at SN 1987A once or twice a year since it launched in 1999

NASA/CXC/NGST

ChandraNuSTAR

Radio Microwave Infrared Optical(Visible) Ultraviolet Gamma-ray

Increasing Energy Increasing Wavelength

X-ray

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The First 17 Years with ChandraReading the star’s history

• The star expelled parts of its outer layers during its life.

• The expanding supernova blast wave lights up this material for us to see with Chandra.

• The denser the material, the brighter the X-rays.

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Phase 1: Dense Clumps1999 - 2003

1 light year

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Phase 2: Dense Clumps + Ring2003 - 2007

1 light year

Expanding at 15 million mph

Expanding at 4 million mph

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Phase 2: Dense Clumps + Ring2003 - 2007

1 light year

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Phase 3: End of Clumps2007 - 2012

1 light year

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Phase 4: Ring Exit2012 - Now

1 light year

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The Picture So Far1999 - 2017

• Ring + clumps structure

• Asymmetric expansion implies lopsided explosion or stellar wind

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Phase 5+: FutureNow - ??

• Probe earlier in star’s history

• Reflected blast wave illuminates shrapnel

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SN 1987AA Window into the Past and Future

Chandra’s X-ray vision has illuminated the last stages

of the star’s life.

NASA/CXC/M.Weiss; X-ray: NASA/CXC/GSFC/U.Hwang & J.Laming

LingHK/Shutterstock.com

NASA/CXC/SAO

Massive Star

SupernovaSupernova Remnant

Past Future

Still more to come!

Lopsided explosion?

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array(launched June 2012)

NuSTAR(3-79 keV)

NuSTAR Observations of SN 1987A

Steven Boggs

UC San Diego

Department of Physics17

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Nuclear Gamma RaysStudying the Synthesis and

Distribution of the Elements

Giants (26Al)

• convective shell burning

Stars/Sun (many)

• ion acceleration

• ambient abundances

Interstellar Medium (26Al, 60Fe,...)

• Galactic history of nucleosynthesis

• formation, evolution and death of massive stars

• CR acceleration & interactions

Remnants (44Ti, 26Al, 106Sn)

• structure & dynamics

• ejection of heavy elements

• compact object formation

• discover young remnants

Supernovae (56Ni, 57Ni, 44Ti)

• understand the explosion mechanism

• abundances of synthesized elements

• structure & dynamics of ejecta

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NuSTAR Observations of SN1987A

(Boggs & NuSTAR Team, Science 348, p. 670, 2015)

SN1987A Confirmed Core Collapse Model:• Neutrino burst confirmed collapse of the central core

• 56Co (0.07 M

) and 57Co (0.003) drive UVOIR lightcurve

SM1987A Surprises:• Progenitor was a blue supergiant (20 M

), not red

• 56Co lines emerged months before expected, heavy mixing

NuSTAR SN 1987A Objectives• Constrain models of nucleosynthesis in SN

1987A by measuring the 44Ti production.

• Reveal asymmetries in the explosion mechanism

and further constrain the explosion models

through the 44Ti emission line profile.

• Study HXR emission from remnant.

(NASA, ESA, P. Challis and

R. Kirshner Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)

T1/2 ~60 years

(NASA/JPL-Caltech)

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NuSTAR

Observations

2,596 ksec

2012-2014

26.6 years

(average) after

explosion

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NuSTAR Source & Background Regions

Source region

Background region

Optics cut off ~78.39 keV

Direct background subtraction

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NuSTAR Background-Subtracted 44Ti spectrum

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NuSTAR 44Ti Model Fits - 3 Models

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NuSTAR SN1987A 44Ti Yield

44Ti Yield: (1.5±0.3)×10-4 M

•Consistent with UVOIR lightcurves

•Points towards asymmetric explosion models

67.4 67.5 67.6 67.7 67.8 67.92×

10−

63×

10−

64×

10−

65×

10−

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Flu

x (

pho

ton

s cm

−2 s

−1)

Line Energy (keV)

+

68%

90%

99%

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44Ti Yield Estimates• UVOIR lightcurves and spectra: (0.5-2)×10-4 M

• Theory, network calculations: (0.5-2)×10-4 M

lower = spherically symmetric

higher = larger asymmetries

INTEGRAL yield

(high) Best Fit

(Seitenzahl, Timmes & Magkotsis 2014; includes

good summary of models and theory)

(Motizuki & Kumagai 2004)

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Doppler Broadening: < 4,100 km/s FWHM

•0.56 +0.31/-0.45 keV FWHM @ 68 keV line (corrected)

•NuSTAR energy resolution 0.90 keV FWHM @ 68 keV

•Consistent with 56Co measurements of ~3,000 km/s FWHM

NuSTAR SN1987A 44Ti Doppler Broadening

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NuSTAR SN1987A 44Ti Redshift

67.4 67.5 67.6 67.7 67.8 67.92×

10−

63×

10−

64×

10−

65×

10−

6

Flu

x (

pho

ton

s cm

−2 s

−1)

Line Energy (keV)

+

68%

90%

99%

Net redshift: 1000±400 km/s uncorrected

•0.23±0.09 keV @ 67.87 keV

•NuSTAR calibrated to better than 0.040 keV (3s)

SN 1987A recession: 286.7 km/s (unshocked gas)

•(Gröningsson et al., 2008)

Look-back effect: 50 km/s redhsift

•(Chan & Lingenfelter, 1987)

Corrected redshift: 700±400 km/s redhsift•Significant compared with broadening

•Requires large-scale asymmetry in the explosion

•Confirms earlier 56Co redshifts

•Consistent with the HST results (later)

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(Tueller et al. 1990; Teegarden 1991)

More Surprises!

• 56Ni mixed out to ~3000 km/s FWHM (several times expected).

• ~500 km/s redshift (not blueshift!), but low significance.

56Co Spectra

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UVOIR Lightcurves (late times)

Modeled 44Ti Yield: 1.4×10-4 M

HST Observations

(~4857 d) (Larsson et al. 2011)

44Ti positrons

X-ray heating

from shocks

R band B band

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HST Observations near End of 44Ti-Powered Phase UVOIR spatially coincident with 44Ti ejecta HST-STIS 1999 August 18

HST 2000 June 11

Morphology & kinematics suggest

bipolar structure, elongated N-S[Ca II] l7300 line:

Net redshift (500 – 1700 km/s)

Confusion with [O II] l7320?

(Wang et al. 2002)

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NuSTAR Background-Subtracted 44Ti spectrum

67.87 keV (93.0%) 78.32 keV (96.4%)

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SN1987A Gamma-Ray Measurements Summary

56Co

• confirmation that nuclear decays power supernovae lightcurves

• 56Co Yield: 0.069 M

• early detection of 56Co emission (several months)

• 56Ni mixed out to ~3000 km/s FWHM (several times expected)

• ~500 km/s redshift (not blueshift!), but low significance

57Co

• further confirmation that nuclear decays power supernovae lightcurves

• 57Co Yield: 0.033 M

44Ti

• even further confirmation that nuclear decays power supernovae lightcurves

• study transition from supernovae to supernova remnant (powered by X-ray heating)

• 44Ti Yield: 1.5×10-4 M

• Points towards asymmetric explosion models

• Consistent with most UVOIR lightcurve models

• <4,100 km/s FWHM broadening, consistent with 56Co measurements

• 700 km/s redshift

• Points towards large-scale asymmetry in explosion, single-lobe explosion?

SN 1987A: The Supernova of a Lifetime

Robert P. KirshnerHarvard University

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

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SN 1987A: February 23, 1987

Sanduleak -69 202

After Before

A 1987 Space Telescope: International Ultraviolet Explorer

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April 24, 1990

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1990: Faint Object Camera image

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Hubble Chronicles Brightening of Ring around an Exploded Star

You can see the video, here:http://hubblesite.org/video/934/news_release/2017-08

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The rise of the ring!

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Something new: and it isn’t radioactivity!

Many messages!

Figure 9

Evolution of SN1987A and its Equatorial Ring. Top row -- Optical (Fransson et al. 2015). The brightness of the ring has been reduced by a factor 20 to make it

possible to see faint emission from the supernova debris and beyond the ring; Mi ddle Row -- 0.5 - 3 keV X-rays (Frank et al. 2015); Bottom Row -- 9 GHz (Ng.

et al. 2013). 43

ALMA

44

CHANDRA, ALMA & HST

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STIS Slit positions for 3D reconstruction of debris: Larsson et al. (2016)

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Reconstructing 3Dx/t = vx; y/t = vy; z = vrt

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Theoretical Velocity Distributions of 56Ni

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Where is that neutron star?

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Kimberly Arcand, Chandra/SAO, NASA’s Universe of

Learning. kkowal@cfa.harvard.edu @kimberlykowal 50

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ASTRONOMY

3D PRINTING IN

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SN 1987a

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chandra.si.edu/photo/2017/sn1987a/

chandra.si.edu/photo/2017/sn1987a/

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Cassiopeia A

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chandra.si.edu/3dprint

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Eta Carinae and

Pillars of Creation

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Eta Carina

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nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov

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How can 3D modeling help experts and non-experts approach the different kinds of objects in space? Learn how 3D models are created with data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory/Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and other observatories. Use free CAD software to explore 3D modeling, and receive a 3D printed object after the workshop. The goal is to help learners understand the life cycles of stars and galaxies, while also experimenting with cutting-edge technology through both hardware and software.

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Chandra.si.edu/build

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Working with data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes on topics from exploded stars, to star-forming regions, to the area around black holes, students learn basic coding (for beginners, no experience required) and follow a video tutorial to create a real world application of science, technology and even art. By enabling students to use real data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, along with other astronomical data, this project helps show just how integral coding is in the pursuit of learning about our Universe.

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Chandra.si.edu/code

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Coming Soon: Stellar Origami & Lego builds for 3D SNRs

Kimberly Arcand, Chandra/SAO

NASA’s Universe of Learning

kkowal@cfa.harvard.edu

@kimberlykowal

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This product is based upon work supported by NASA under award number NNX16AC65A. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.