Abstract
The high-velocity Lya emission from SN 1987A observed with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) evidently comes from a reverse shock formed where the outer envelope of SN 1987A strikes ionized gas inside the inner circumstellar ring. The observations can be explained by a simple kinematic model, in which the Lya emission comes from hydrogen atoms with radial velocity »15,000 km s 21 crossing a reverse shock in the shape of a slightly prolate ellipsoid with equatorial radius cm or »80% of the distance to the 17 4.8 # 10 inner surface of the inner ring. N v ll1239, 1243 emission, if present, has a net luminosity &30% times that of the Lya emission. Future STIS observations should enable us to predict the time of impact with the inner ring and to determine unambiguously whether or not N v emission is present. These observations will offer a unique opportunity to probe the structure of SN 1987A’s circumstellar environment and the hydrodynamics and kinetics of very fast shocks. Subject heading: circumstellar matter — hydrodynamics — supernovae: individual (SN 1987A) — ultraviolet: ISM
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