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ALMA molecular observations of supernova 1987A

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2016

Mikako Matsuura ,
R. Indebetouw ,
J. Kamenetzky  and
R. McCray
Mikako Matsuura
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, UK University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
R. Indebetouw
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, PO Box 400325, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
J. Kamenetzky
Affiliation:
Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, 1255 38th street, Boulder, CO 80303
R. McCray
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy/University of California, Berkeley, California, USA, CA 94720-3411
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Abstract

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Twenty-six years after the explosion, we conducted a molecular line survey for supernova 1987A, using the ALMA observatory. The detection of molecules in the ejecta can uncover evidence of mixing and dynamics in the early days after the supernova explosion, as well as of molecular chemistry that took place in the last 25 years.

It is still not well understood to what extent the macroscopic mixing occurred after the supernova explosion. Molecules can provide a new tool to probe and test the extent of mixing: macroscopic mixings stir the elements from different layers of nuclear-reaction zones in the stellar core, opening the possibilities to form molecules that were composed of elements from different nuclear-burning zones, which the ALMA can detect. Additionally, the ALMA measured the line profiles of molecules, which unveiled the dynamics of ejecta. The high sensitivity observations of molecules can open a new window to determine SN explosion mechanisms and allow us to probe macroscopic mixing after the explosion.

Keywords

supernovae: individual (Supernova 1987A)ISM: moleculesdust(stars:) circumstellar matter(galaxies:) Magellanic Clouds
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 11 , General Assembly A29B: Astronomy in Focus , August 2015 , pp. 239 - 240
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2016 

References

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