Other
Scientific paper
Dec 1994
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994aas...185.4906x&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, 185th AAS Meeting, #49.06; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 26, p.1392
Other
Scientific paper
A thorough study of the ``interstellar'' light echo images from SN1987A over more than five years shows 12 dust structures in front of the supernova, ranging from 310 to 3240 lt-yrs. We measured the depths and inclination angles of these dust sheets by least chi (2) fitting. Two bifurcated dust sheets, corresponding to the two major light echo rings, are clearly present. Some discrete dust bodies sit in between, and beyond them, a complicated structure extends above one of the sheet to the northwest. A superbubble other than N157C of 200 lt-yrs diameter is embedded in the southwestern part of this sheet. Good correlation was found between this dust complex and bright Hα region of the western shell of the N157C-complex. Thus, we think the N157C-complex is located at about 1000 lt-yrs in front of SN1987A and causes the outer major echo ring. This shell is tilted about 40(0) from the northeast to the southwest. Two dense dust clouds appear at about 3000 lt-yrs in the SN foreground. The southeastern one correlates with a prominent Hα filament reaching out to the southwest from over N157C with an offset of about 20 lt-yrs. It is tilted at about 60(0) from the northwest to the southeast. Based on this identification, we propose a 3D picture of large scale ISM structure: two dense gas shells embrace a 2000 lt-yr diameter superbubble filled with hot X-ray emitting gas. This region was earlier identified as a significant X-ray source. Because the upper limit of the size of superbubble in LMC is at most 1800 lt-yrs and is likely to be much lower, we think this giant superbubble is the merger of two or three smaller superbubbles. It was also found that this X-ray source is not as strong as those in R136, the center of 30 Doradus. Therefore, we advocate the picture that this region is a remnant of a historically active star formation region. The small offset of dust sheets from bright Hα regions indicates a slowly expanding giant superbubble. We also suggest massive star formation in the past split and separated one of these clouds into two sheets separated by 700 lt-yrs, and created a complicated structure in between.
Crotts Arlin P. S.
Kunkel William E.
Xu Jun
No associations
LandOfFree
3-D Study of ISM in front of SN1987A using Light Echoes does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with 3-D Study of ISM in front of SN1987A using Light Echoes, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and 3-D Study of ISM in front of SN1987A using Light Echoes will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1321013