Speaker:
Dennis Alp
Title:
Multiwavelength Limits on a Compact Object in SN 1987A 30 Years After Explosion
Abstract:
The compact object produced by SN 1987A has not yet been detected despite 30 years of searches spanning the entire electromagnetic spectrum. I will present new limits on a point source in the debris of SN 1987A obtained from recent observations. Limits are obtained using ALMA images at millimeter wavelengths; VLT NACO images and SINFONI spectra in NIR; HST WFC3 images and STIS spectra in optical and UV; and Chandra in X-rays. New constraints on the amount of absorption at X-ray energies are computed using 3D explosion models. Limits at other frequencies are taken from literature for complete coverage of the entire electromagnetic spectrum. We also investigate the total energy budget of the central ejecta and find that the allowed bolometric luminosity of the compact object is 240 Lsun. We discuss how these new limits constrain the physical properties of the compact object and prospects for detecting the compact object with future facilities.
