The Astrophysical Journal (Jan 2024)
JWST MIRI Imager Observations of Supernova SN 1987A
- P. Bouchet,
- R. Gastaud,
- A. Coulais,
- M. J. Barlow,
- C. Fransson,
- P. J. Kavanagh,
- J. Larsson,
- T. Temim,
- O. C. Jones,
- A. S. Hirschauer,
- T. Tikkanen,
- J. A. D. L. Blommaert,
- O. D. Fox,
- A. Glasse,
- N. Habel,
- J. Hjorth,
- J. Jaspers,
- O. Krause,
- R. M. Lau,
- L. Lenkić,
- M. Meixner,
- O. Nayak,
- A. Rest,
- B. Sargent,
- R. Wesson,
- G. S. Wright,
- L. Colina,
- E. F. van Dishoeck,
- M. Güdel,
- Th. Henning,
- P.-O. Lagage,
- G. Östlin,
- T. P. Ray,
- B. Vandenbussche
Affiliations
- P. Bouchet
- ORCiD
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité , CEA, CNRS, AIM, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France ; [email protected]
- R. Gastaud
- ORCiD
- Université Paris-Saclay , CEA, DEDIP, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- A. Coulais
- ORCiD
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité , CEA, CNRS, AIM, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France ; [email protected]; LERMA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL , Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
- M. J. Barlow
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London (UCL) , Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- C. Fransson
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University , The Oskar Klein Centre, AlbaNova, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- P. J. Kavanagh
- ORCiD
- Department of Experimental Physics, Maynooth University , Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland; Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies , School of Cosmic Physics, Astronomy & Astrophysics Section, 31 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2, Ireland
- J. Larsson
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics , KTH Royal Institute of Technology, The Oskar Klein Centre, AlbaNova, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- T. Temim
- ORCiD
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University , Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- O. C. Jones
- ORCiD
- UK Astronomy Technology Centre , Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ, UK
- A. S. Hirschauer
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- T. Tikkanen
- ORCiD
- School of Physics & Astronomy, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester , Space Park Leicester, 92 Corporation Road, Leicester LE4 5SP, UK
- J. A. D. L. Blommaert
- ORCiD
- Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Group, Department of Physics and Astrophysics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
- O. D. Fox
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- A. Glasse
- ORCiD
- UK Astronomy Technology Centre , Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ, UK
- N. Habel
- ORCiD
- Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy , NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 204-14, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- J. Hjorth
- ORCiD
- DARK, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 128, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- J. Jaspers
- ORCiD
- Department of Experimental Physics, Maynooth University , Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland; Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies , School of Cosmic Physics, Astronomy & Astrophysics Section, 31 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2, Ireland
- O. Krause
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy , Heidelberg (MPIA), Germany
- R. M. Lau
- ORCiD
- NSF’s NOIR Lab 950 N. Cherry Avenue , Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- L. Lenkić
- ORCiD
- Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy , NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 204-14, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- M. Meixner
- ORCiD
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
- O. Nayak
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- A. Rest
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- B. Sargent
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Center for Astrophysical Sciences, The William H. Miller III Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- R. Wesson
- ORCiD
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University , Queen’s Buildings, The Parade, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK
- G. S. Wright
- ORCiD
- UK Astronomy Technology Centre , Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ, UK
- L. Colina
- ORCiD
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) , CSIC-INTA, Ctra. de Ajalvir km 4, Torrejón de Ardoz, E-28850, Madrid, Spain
- E. F. van Dishoeck
- ORCiD
- Max-Planck Institut für Extraterresstrische Physic (MPE) , Giessenbachstr., 1, D-85748, Garching, Germany; Leiden Observatory, Leiden University , 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- M. Güdel
- ORCiD
- Dept. of Astrophysics, University of Vienna , Türkenschanzstr. 17, A-1180 Vienna, Austria; Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (MPIA) , Königstuhl, 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany; ETH Zürich , Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Wolfgang-Pauli Str., 27, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
- Th. Henning
- ORCiD
- Max-Planck Institut für Extraterresstrische Physic (MPE) , Giessenbachstr., 1, D-85748, Garching, Germany
- P.-O. Lagage
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité , CEA, CNRS, AIM, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France ; [email protected]
- G. Östlin
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University , The Oskar Klein Centre, AlbaNova, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- T. P. Ray
- ORCiD
- Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies , School of Cosmic Physics, Astronomy & Astrophysics Section, 31 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2, Ireland
- B. Vandenbussche
- ORCiD
- Institute of Astronomy , KU Leuwen, Celestijnenlaan 200D, 3001 Leuwen, Belgium
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad2770
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 965,
no. 1
p. 51
Abstract
There exist very few mid-infrared (IR) observations of supernovae (SNe) in general. Therefore, SN 1987A, the closest visible SN in 400 yr, gives us the opportunity to explore the mid-IR properties of SNe, the dust in their ejecta, and the surrounding medium and to witness the birth of an SN remnant (SNR). The James Webb Space Telescope, with its high spatial resolution and extreme sensitivity, gives a new view on these issues. We report on the first imaging observations obtained with the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI). We build temperature maps and discuss the morphology of the nascent SNR. Our results show that the temperatures in the equatorial ring (ER) are quite nonuniform. This could be due to dust destruction in some parts of the ring, as had been assumed in some previous works. We show that the IR emission extends beyond the ER, illustrating the fact that the shock wave has now passed through this ring to affect the circumstellar medium on a larger scale. Finally, while submillimeter Atacama Large Millimeter Array observations have hinted at the location of the compact remnant of SN 1987A, we note that our MIRI data have found no such evidence.
Keywords
