SNR 0509-67.5
Astronomy Picture of the Day
(25 January 2011)
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110125.html
Caption: SNR 0509-67.5, the Type Ia supernova remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud. This image was created using data from the Hubble Space Telescope. (HST). The large, diaphanous ellipse is the now-tenuous gas shell ejected by the supernova 400 (±50) years ago. The circle in the middle marks the site of the explosion, and the size of the circle represents the maximum allowed position for any possible ex-companion star after accounting for its motion over the 400 years since the explosion. The error circle has no stars in it. (The nebulous object is a random far-background galaxy of no connection.) The lack of any possible ex-companion stars to deep HST limits rejects all single-degenerate progenitors.
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SNR 0509-67.5
In optical light from the Hubble Heritage Program of the Hubble Space Telescope
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SNR 0509-67.5
With optical and X-ray light from Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2010/snr0509/
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SNR 0509-67.5
With circle that must contain the ex-companion star from Hubble Space Telescope images
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SNR 0509-67.5
In black and white from Hubble Space Telescope Images
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SNR 0519-69.0
Caption: SNR 0519-69.0, the Type Ia supernova remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud. This image was created using data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The large, diaphanous ellipse is the now-tenuous gas shell ejected by the supernova 600 (±200) years ago. The circle in the middle marks the site of the explosion, and the size of the circle represents the maximum allowed position for any possible ex-companion star after accounting for its motion over the 600 years since the explosion. This circle has many stars in it. Any of the brighter stars inside this circle (all of which are main sequence stars) could be an ex-companion star as predicted by the supersoft source progenitor model. Alternatively, maybe none of these stars is the ex-companion star, because there is no ex-companion as predicted by the double degenerate progenitor model. Importantly, none of the stars in the circle are red giant or subgiant stars, as required by most of the single-degenerate progenitor models (including the symbiotic stars, recurrent novae, helium stars, and spin-up/spin-down systems). The nearest red giant and sub giant stars are marked by "RG" and "SG" in the picture. Thus, out of the many possible ideas for progenitors, only two remain possible for SNR 0519-69.0; the double degenerate model and the supersoft system progenitor model.
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SNR 0519-69.0
In black and white from Hubble Space Telescope images
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PRESS RELEASE
ORIGIN OF THERMONUCLEAR SUPERNOVA DISCOVERED
12:00 P.M. CST, Wednesday, January 11, 2012, at the American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting in Austin, TX - PDF - Press Conference Talk
CONTACT INFORMATION
- Ashley Pagnotta
(Louisiana State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy):
(281) 686-1370 (cell phone, for use during AAS meeting)
- Prof. Bradley E. Schaefer
(Louisiana State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy):
(225) 578-0015 - Department Office; (225) 578-5855 - Department Fax
INDEPENDENT EXPERTS WHO AGREE TO TALK WITH THE PRESS
- Prof. J. Craig Wheeler
(Univ. Texas Austin, former AAS president, supernova theorist):
(512)471-6407
- Prof. Robert Fesen
(Dartmouth College, supernova remnant observations):
(603)646-2949 (Dartmouth office) and 720-536-8011 (during the meeting)
- Prof. Pilar Ruiz-Lapuente
(Universidad de Barcelona, supernova and remnant observer):
or
934021120
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The National Science Foundation supports the work of Schaefer & Pagnotta through a grant in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Division. The National Science Foundation also supported Edwards as part of a Research Experience for Undergraduates program administered by the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
The Hubble Space Telescope and the Hubble Heritage Program took the images that formed the basis of the work being reported. The images were taken under programs with Principal Investigators Keith Noll and John P. Hughes.
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