Abstract
We have been monitoring the supernova remnant (SNR) 1987A with Chandra observations since 1999. Here we report on the latest change in the soft X-ray light curve of SNR 1987A. For the last ∼1.5 yr (since day ∼8000), the soft X-ray flux has significantly flattened, staying (within uncertainties) at fX ∼ 5.7 × 10−12 erg cm−2 s−1 (corresponding to LX ∼ 3.6 × 1036 erg s−1) in the 0.5–2 keV band. This remarkable change in the recent soft X-ray light curve suggests that the forward shock is now interacting with a decreasing density structure, after interacting with an increasing density gradient over ∼10 yr prior to day ∼8000. Possibilities may include the case that the shock is now propagating beyond a density peak of the inner ring. We briefly discuss some possible implications on the nature of the progenitor and the future prospects of our Chandra monitoring observations.
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