Speaker
Dr
Mikako Matsuura
(University College London)
Description
We report a surprising detection of the supernova 1987A at far-infrared and
submillimetre (submm) wavelengths in 2010. As a part of the Herschel Large and
Small Magellanic Cloud surveys (HERITAGE; principal investigator Margaret Meixner),
the Herschel Space Observatory scanned the sky in the direction of SN 1987A, and
found a faint but clear point source. The source was detected at four wavelength
bands from 100 to 350 microns. The smooth spectral energy distribution shows a
continuous shape peaking near 200 microns and we conclude that the far-
infrared/submm signature is due to thermal dust emission. The estimated dust mass
is between 0.5-0.7 solar mass, which is limited by the available elemental mass
synthesised in the SN. This new detection by Herschel implies that supernovae can
contribute to the overall dust-mass input in the interstellar medium of galaxies.
Primary author
Dr
Mikako Matsuura
(University College London)
Co-authors
Dr
Brian Babler
(University of Wisconsin)
Dr
Chad Engelbracht
(University of Arizona)
Dr
E Montiel
(University of Arizona)
Dr
Eli Dwek
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)
Prof.
Geoff Clayton
(Louisiana State University)
Dr
George Sonneborn
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)
Dr
Jacco van Loon
(Keele University)
Dr
Julia Roman-Duval
(Space Telescope Science Institute)
Dr
Karin Sandstrom
(Max Planck Institut für Astronomie)
Dr
Karl Gordon
(Space Telescope Science Institute)
Dr
Karl Misselt
(University of Arizona)
Dr
Knox Long
(Space Telescope Science Institute)
Dr
Koryo Okumura
(CEA)
Dr
Marc Sauvage
(CEA)
Dr
Margaret Meixner
(Space Telescope Science Institute)
Dr
Masaaki Otsuka
(Space Telescope Science Institute)
Ms
Masha Lakicevic
(Keele University)
Prof.
Mike Barlow
(University College London)
Prof.
Peter Lundqvist
(Stockholm University)
Dr
Sacha Hony
(CEA)
Dr
Takaya Nozawa
(University of Tokyo)
