Will dust black out SN 1987A?

Abstract

SN 1987A is the closest supernova ever to have occurred in the era of modern technology, providing astronomers with the unique opportunity to study in detail the various physical processes associated with the supernova phenomenon. Among these processes is that of dust formation in the cooling matter explosively ejected in the supernova event. This paper examines the prospects for the formation, survival, and detection of dust in the ejecta of SN 1987A. The formation of dust will have immediate implications on the spectral analysis of the ejecta, as the dust may obscure the visual and UV output of any pulsar that may have formed in the explosion. A ~20 M_sun_ progenitor star can produce about ~1 M_sun_ of supernova condensates. Supernovae will then constitute a major source of dust, equaling the combined output of all other sources. The detection of this dust in SN 1987A will be a significant addition to the incomplete picture we now have of the presence of isotopic anomalies in the solar system, and of the origin and evolution of dust in the interstellar medium.