SN1987A After 18 Years: Gemini and Spitzer Observations of the Remnant the Blast Wave Interaction with the Circumstellar Ring
Résumé
High resolution 11.7 and 18.3 micron mid-IR images of SN1987A obtained on day 6526 since the explosion with the Thermal-Region Camera and Spectrograph (T-ReCS) attached to the Gemini South 8m telescope reveal the interaction of the SN blast wave with the dusty circumstellar ring (Bouchet et al. 2006, ApJ, in press, astro-ph/0601495). Comparison of the T-ReCS images with X-ray images obtained by Chandra suggests that the dust is collisionally heated by the X-ray emitting plasma, providing a unique diagnostic of plasma conditions. Overall, we are witnessing the interaction of the SN blast wave with its surrounding medium, creating an environment that is rapidly evolving at all wavelengths. Continuous multiwavelength observations of SN1987A such as these provide unique snapshots of the very early evolution of supernova remnants.