Emission lines due to ionizing radiation from a compact object in the remnant of Supernova 1987A
- Author(s)
- C. Fransson, M. J. Barlow, P. J. Kavanagh, J. Larsson, O. C. Jones, B. Sargent, M. Meixner, P. Bouchet, T. Temim, G. S. Wright, J. A.D.L. Blommaert, N. Habel, A. S. Hirschauer, J. Hjorth, L. Lenkić, T. Tikkanen, R. Wesson, A. Coulais, O. D. Fox, R. Gastaud, A. Glasse, J. Jaspers, O. Krause, R. M. Lau, O. Nayak, A. Rest, L. Colina, E. F. van Dishoeck, M. Güdel, Th Henning, P. O. Lagage, G. Östlin, T. P. Ray, B. Vandenbussche
- Abstract
The nearby Supernova 1987A was accompanied by a burst of neutrino emission, which indicates that a compact object (a neutron star or black hole) was formed in the explosion. There has been no direct observation of this compact object. In this work, we observe the supernova remnant with JWST spectroscopy, finding narrow infrared emission lines of argon and sulfur. The line emission is spatially unresolved and blueshifted in velocity relative to the supernova rest frame. We interpret the lines as gas illuminated by a source of ionizing photons located close to the center of the expanding ejecta. Photoionization models show that the line ratios are consistent with ionization by a cooling neutron star or a pulsar wind nebula. The velocity shift could be evidence for a neutron star natal kick.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Astrophysics
- External organisation(s)
- Oskar Klein Centre, University College London, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, The Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, Space Telescope Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Université Paris Saclay, Princeton University, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, University of Copenhagen, Universities Space Research Association, University of Leicester, Cardiff University, Université de recherche Paris Sciences et Lettres, Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), CSIC - Real Jardin Botanico (RJB), Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Leiden University, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
- Journal
- Science
- Volume
- 383
- Pages
- 898-903
- No. of pages
- 6
- ISSN
- 0036-8075
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adj5796
- Publication date
- 02-2024
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 103003 Astronomy, 103004 Astrophysics
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/b802a436-674a-44d9-a159-d775620f04ed