Ancient Supernova Research Articles

Gravitational lens brings an ancient supernova into view

Gravitational lens brings an ancient supernova into view

Supernovae in Orion: The Missing Link in the Star-forming History of the Region

Abstract The Orion Complex is a notable star-forming region fragmented into several different populations with substantial differences in their phase space. I propose a model that attempts to explain the how the Complex has evolved into this current configuration. In the model presented here, the large-scale expansion can be attributable to a supernova that exploded 6 Myr ago. The remnants of this explosion can be seen as Barnard’s loop, as the center of the expansion is consistent with the geometrical center of the H ii bubble. This is similar to the H ii bubble and the ballistic expansion that is associated with λ Ori, a region that was also the site of an ancient supernova. Assuming that the Orion Complex originally formed as one long filament spanning from the bottom of Orion A to ψ 2 Ori (or potentially as far as λ Ori), Barnard’s loop supernova could have split the cloud, which led to the formation of Orion C & D. Furthermore, the shockwave that propagated into the filament could have swept along the gas through several parsecs, which led to the formation of the singularly most massive cluster in the solar neighborhood, the Orion Nebula Cluster. I also discuss other related nearby events, such as the formation of the Monogem ring and various runaways that have been ejected from the Orion Complex.

A search for a surviving companion in SN 1006

Multiple channels have been proposed to produce Type Ia supernovae, with many scenarios suggesting that the exploding white dwarf accretes from a binary companion pre-explosion. In almost all cases, theory suggests that this companion will survive. However, no such companion has been unambiguously identified in ancient supernova remnants -- possibly falsifying the accretion scenario. Existing surveys, however, have only looked for stars as faint as $\approx 0.1 L_\odot$ and thus would have missed a surviving white dwarf companion. In this work, we present very deep DECAM imaging $(u, g, r, z)$ of the Type Ia supernova remnant SN 1006 specifically to search for a potential surviving white dwarf companion. We find no object within the inner third of the SN 1006 remnant that is consistent with a relatively young cooling white dwarf. We find that if there is a companion white dwarf, it must have formed long ago and cooled undisturbed for $> 10^8$ yr to be consistent with the redder objects in our sample. We conclude that our findings are consistent with the complete destruction of the secondary (such as in a merger) or an unexpectedly cool and thus very dim surviving companion white dwarf.

Historical observations supplement modern theories on ancient supernova

Historical observations supplement modern theories on ancient supernova

SN 1054: A pulsar-powered supernova?

The famous ancient supernova SN 1054 could have been too bright to be explained in the “standard” radioactive-powered supernova scenario. As an alternative attempt, we demonstrate that the spin-down of the newly born Crab pulsar could provide a sufficient energy supply to make SN 1054 visible at daytime for 23 days and at night for 653 days, where a one-zone semi-analytical model is employed. Our results indicate that SN 1054 could be a “normal” cousin of magnetar-powered superluminous supernovae. Therefore, SN 1054-like supernovae could be a probe to uncover the properties of newly born neutron stars, which provide initial conditions for studies on neutron star evolutions.

Finding Ancient Supernovae at 5 < z < 12 with Frontier Fields

AbstractSupernovae are important probes of the properties of stars at high redshifts because they can be detected at early epochs and their masses can be inferred from their light curves. Direct detection of the first cosmic explosions in the universe will only be possible with JWST, WFIRST and the next generation of extremely large telescopes. But strong gravitational lensing by massive clusters, like those in the Frontier Fields, could reveal supernovae at slightly lower redshifts now by magnifying their flux by factors of 10 or more. We find that Frontier Fields will likely discover dozens of core-collapse supernovae at 5 < z < 12. Future surveys of cluster lenses similar in scope to Frontier Fields by JWST might find hundreds of these events out to z ~ 15 - 17. Besides revealing the masses of early stars, these ancient supernovae could also constrain cosmic star formation rates in the era of first galaxy formation.

Shock wave physics and detonation physics — a stimulus for the emergence of numerous new branches in science and engineering

In the period of the Cold War (1945−1991), Shock Wave Physics and Detonation Physics (SWP&DP) — until the beginning of WWII mostly confined to gas dynamics, high-speed aerodynamics, and military technology (such as aero- and terminal ballistics, armor construction, chemical explosions, supersonic gun, and other firearms developments) — quickly developed into a large interdisciplinary field by its own. This rapid expansion was driven by an enormous financial support and two efficient feedbacks: the Terminal Ballistic Cycleand the Research& Development Cycle. Basic knowledge in SWP&DP, initially gained in the Classic Period(from 1808) and further extended in the Post-Classic Period(from the 1930s to present), is now increasingly used also in other branches of Science and Engineering (S&E). However, also independent S&E branches developed, based upon the fundamentals of SWP&DP, many of those developments will be addressed (see Tab. 2). Thus, shock wave and detonation phenomena are now studied within an enormous range of dimensions, covering microscopic, macroscopic, and cosmic dimensions as well as enormous time spans ranging from nano-/picosecond shock durations (such as produced by ultra-short laser pulses) to shock durations that continue for centuries (such as blast waves emitted from ancient supernova explosions). This paper reviews these developments from a historical perspective.

Echo from an ancient supernova

Light reflected off a dust cloud in the vicinity of the relic of Tycho Brahe's supernova, whose light first swept past Earth more than four centuries ago, literally sheds light on the nature of this cosmic explosion.

Spectral Identification of an Ancient Supernova Using Light Echoes in the Large Magellanic Cloud

We report the successful identification of the type of the supernova responsible for the supernova remnant SNR 0509-675 in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using Gemini spectra of surrounding light echoes. The ability to classify outbursts associated with centuries-old remnants provides a new window into several aspects of supernova research and is likely to be successful in providing new constraints on additional LMC supernovae as well as their historical counterparts in the Milky Way Galaxy (MWG). The combined spectrum of echo light from SNR 0509-675 shows broad emission and absorption lines consistent with a supernova (SN) spectrum. We create a spectral library consisting of 26 SNe Ia and 6 SN Ib/c that are time-integrated, dust-scattered by LMC dust, and reddened by the LMC and MWG. We fit these SN templates to the observed light echo spectrum using � 2 minimization as well as correlation techniques, and we find that overluminous 91T-like SNe Ia with �m15 < 0.9 match the observed spectrum best. Subject headings: ISM: individual(SNR 0509-67.5) — supernova:general — supernova remnants — Magellanic Clouds

A Model of Light from Ancient Blue Emissions

A model is presented to explain the luminar distances and associated red-shifts from ancient supernovae. Light frequencies of supernovae type Ia (SNe Ia) vary smoothly with time, decreasing from singularity to present and intergalactic luminar distances are described as linear combinations of Hubble expansion and smaller components from the time-dependent decrease of emission frequencies. When tested with current cosmic matter densities, SNe Ia distances, red-shifts and the Hubble constant the errors between this model and the vacuum energy model favor this new model, though our model suffers from mathematics about zero. An expression between energy and frequency, derived from the model, reducing to the Planck equation for short observation intervals is also discovered and estimated to within 10% using current SNe Ia data. We also propose a relationship for the deceleration of frequency over time, solve at infinity and discover frequency and time will eventually become uncoupled.

Light echoes from ancient supernovae in the Large Magellanic Cloud

The light from historical supernovae could in principle still be visible as scattered-light echoes centuries after the explosion. The detection of light echoes could allow us to pinpoint the supernova event both in position and age and, most importantly, permit the acquisition of spectra to determine the 'type' of the supernova centuries after the direct light from the explosion first reached Earth. Although echoes have been discovered around some nearby extragalactic supernovae, targeted searches have not found any echoes in the regions of historical Galactic supernovae. Here we report three faint variable-surface-brightness complexes with high apparent proper motions pointing back to three of the six smallest (and probably youngest) previously catalogued supernova remnants in the Large Magellanic Cloud, which are believed to have been thermonuclear (type Ia) supernovae. Using the distance and apparent proper motions of these echo arcs, we estimate ages of 610 and 410 years for two of them.

Shedding light on an ancient supernova

Science NewsVolume 156, Issue 6 p. 87-87 This Week Shedding light on an ancient supernova Ron Cowen, Ron CowenSearch for more papers by this author Ron Cowen, Ron CowenSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 July 2009 https://doi.org/10.2307/4011802AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume156, Issue67 August 1999Pages 87-87 RelatedInformation

Hot gas in the interstellar medium: A reanalysis of O VI absorption data

The Copernicus O(+5) column densities toward 72 stars provide a rare and valuable tracer of 10(exp 5.5) K gas in the interstellar medium. The original analysis of the data by Jenkins provided important clues about the distribution of interstellar O(+5) ions, but our understanding of the local interstellar medium has since grown substantially. We revisit that work, including the possibility that local hot gas may contribute a significant O(+5) column density to most lines of sight. Our reanalysis also includes slight improvements in the statistics and was found to be reliable when tested on simulated data sets. In the end, we come to conclusions about the distribution of interstellar O(+5) ions that differ considerably from those of the original analysis. With our reanalysis, some theoretical models now show promise. For example, our Local Bubble column density compares favorably with the estimated quantity of O(+5) within the remnant of an ancient local explosion. Similarly, our mean O(+5) column density per feature in more distant regions is like that found in models of hot interstellar bubbles from either stellar winds or ancient supernova explosions in a warm diffuse interstellar environment, suggesting that the hot gas in interstellar space may exist primarily within discrete regions of modest volume occupation rather than in a continuous and pervasive phase.

A Supernova Shock Ensemble Model Using Vostok 10Be Radioactivity

Analysis of the Vostok ice-core record of 10Be (Raisbeck et al. 1987) suggests that the sharply resolved increases in 10Be at 35 ka (kyr) and 60 ka are due to cosmic-ray (CR) increases. As an alternate to long-term solar modulation or strong decreases in the Earth's magnetic field, supernova (SN) forcing is qualitatively consistent with the generation of a forward-reverse shock ensemble from a spherical blast wave of age very approximately at 75 ka. This age agrees with Davelaar, Bleeker and Deerenberg's (1980) identification of 75 ka for the age of a North Polar Spur SN remnant. Confirmation would be the first geochemical detection of supernova forcing of spallogenic and perhaps cosmogenic isotope production in the atmosphere. The three 10Be increases can be satisfied by a modification of the Sonett, Morfill, and Jokipii (1987) model. This consists of 2 or 3 shock waves from a single SN event, which includes the first stage in the expansion, leading to a forward shock, S1+, and a pair of reverse waves, S1− and S2−. One reverse wave arises from the spherical expansion, itself, and the other is a reflected wave from a remnant precursor shell boundary from a more ancient SN. The model requires the solar system to be immersed in the ‘bubble’ of the earlier post-SN evolution, possibly affecting estimates of heliospheric boundary distance. However more recent analysis of Camp Century ice core data discloses only the 35 ka 10Be peak. This recent result compounds the difficulty of constructing a completely consistent model for the source of the Vostok spikes. This paper is written in the spirit of suggesting only one of possibly several different models, even within the subclass of SN models.

Interstellar events in elliptical galaxies

view Abstract Citations (105) References (50) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Interstellar Events in Elliptical Galaxies Mathews, William G. Abstract An understanding of the manner by which evolving stars in elliptical galaxies interact with the hot interstellar medium is required to clarify the nature of source terms used in gasdynamical models of cooling flows in elliptical galaxies. It is also important to establish if inhomogeneities in entropy that result from mass ejection from stars--as winds, planetary nebulae, or supernova explosions---can serve as sites for local or eventual star formation in the cooling flow or "if these inhomogeneities could be observed collectively or individually. The evolution of mass ejected from red giants depends in detail on the ionizing photon density in ellipticals. Most of the ionizing photons are produced by nuclei of planetary nebulae, the same component responsible for the rate of mass deposition from evolving stars. A significant additional contribution of ionizing photons may come from the cooling flow itself. If gas ejected from orbiting stars remains fully ionized, it proceeds through a definite evolutionary sequence: attainment of hydrostatic equilibrium with the ambient hot gas, disruption into many small clouds by Rayleigh- Taylor instabilities as orbital motion is dissipated into the hot gas, and conductive evaporation into the hot gas after coming to rest without colliding with other stellar ejecta. If some of the stellar ejecta should cool and become neutral, it is most unlikely that it could ever become self-gravitating and fall to merge with the hot gas or dissipate its orbital kinetic energy. Even if such orbiting, self-gravitating neutral objects existed, they would develop ionized halos when exposed to ambient ionizing photons. The gravitationally unbound ionized halos would be preferentially removed by drag forces, eventually destroying the entire cloud in <~ 10^8^ yr. Stellar ejecta, spread over many hundreds of parsecs in the wake of the orbiting parent star, must merge with the hot gas in at least ~ 10^6^ yr in order for the collective optical line emission not to exceed minimum line fluxes observed in elliptical galaxies. More observations of faint, extended line fluxes from ellipticals could reduce this merging time further. The efficient physical and thermal disruption of stellar ejecta in the cooling flow gas leaves no entropy fluctuations that could form into stars at large radius. But the metallicity of stellar ejecta always exceeds that of the local cooling flow; these small abundance fluctuations prepare the gas for eventual formation into objects of substellar mass through thermal instabilities. Type Ia supernovae produce long-lived inhomogeneities in the cooling flow environment. A series of computed model blast waves demonstrates that supernova blast waves dissipate their energy into superhot bubbles in ~ 3 x 10^4^ yr. These buoyant bubbles rise in the galactic potential, become Rayleigh-Taylor unstable, and dissipate their energy into the ambient interstellar gas in ~ 3 x 10^6^ yr. The collective emission of the system of hot supernova bubbles is significant and may dominate the thermal emission from elliptical galaxies at energies E >~ 10 keV, provided the collective hard X-ray emission from low-mass binaries is not too strong. The spatial and projected filling factors of the ensemble of bubbles are very small. It is therefore possible that individual bubbles could be observed in X-ray emission against the cooling flow background. A measure of the number of hot bubbles in large elliptical galaxies (~ 10^3^-10^4^) and knowledge of their thermal dissipation time provides a simple and direct means of determining the supernova rate. The ~ 1 M_sun_ of iron ejected into the cooling flow with each supernova event is trapped locally within the hot bubbles and may never successfully mix thoroughly with the ambient hot gas. Long-lived metal-rich inclusions in the cooling flow resulting from ancient supernovae could serve as sites of enhanced cooling and (low-mass) star formation near the centers of galactic cooling flows. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: May 1990 DOI: 10.1086/168708 Bibcode: 1990ApJ...354..468M Keywords: Elliptical Galaxies; Interstellar Gas; Star Formation; Planetary Nebulae; Red Giant Stars; Stellar Evolution; Stellar Mass Ejection; Supernova Remnants; Supernovae; Astrophysics; GALAXIES: INTERSTELLAR MATTER; HYDRODYNAMICS; STARS: EVOLUTION; STARS: MASS LOSS; STARS: SUPERNOVAE full text sources ADS |

Light Echoes from Ancient Supernovae.

Light Echoes from Ancient Supernovae.