Light Echoes of Historical Galactic Supernovae

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Scientific paper

Spitzer's serendipitous discovery of light echoes from the supernovae (SN) that gave birth to the Cas A supernova remnant (SNR) shows that we have to opportunity to re-observe historical Galactic supernovae. Optical spectra of these echoes have shown that the Cas A SN was of Type IIb. Similarly, Tycho's SN has been spectroscopically established to be of Type Ia. The Cas A light echoes are the only ones seen by Spitzer to date. However, this is because existing observations of other young galactic SNRs have only included a single epoch of observations (insufficient to reveal the highly transitory echoes), and have only covered small fields in the immediate vicinity of the SNRs. We proposed to obtain wide field (>0.5 degree) observations of the 7 youngest Galactic SNe, having ages up to ~1000 yr. Where available, prior epoch observations will allow definitive identification of light echoes. If the Cas A echoes are representative, we can also identify echo candidates via their distinctive 4.5/3.6 micron colors. Variations (or lack thereof) in these colors as a function of SN age and SN type, will allow us to place constraints on the emission mechanism of the echoes (absorption and re-radiation vs. scattering). Low extinction at 3.6 and 4.5 microns, means that Spitzer can located echoes of distant SNe which may be too highly attenuated to observe at shorter wavelengths.

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