Abstract
FOLLOWING an initial radio outburst1 which decayed on a time-scale of a few weeks, supernova 1987A2 was undetectable at radio wavelengths until recently. In mid-1990, 1,200 days after the explosion, radio emission was once again detected3 with the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope and the Australia Telescope Compact Array. Our observations since then show that the source has increased in strength at all monitored frequencies between 843 MHz and 8.6 GHz, with considerable variations in spectral index. The extended radio emission is centred within 0.5 arcsec of the optical supernova, and probably lies within the [O III] ring imaged by the Bubble Space Telescope. We interpret the emission as optically thin synchrotron emission from shock–accelerated electrons. This is the first time the birth of a nearby radio supernova remnant has been witnessed, and future observations will allow the structure of the remnant to be compared with the many other known radio remnants.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Turtle, A. J. et al. Nature 327, 38–40 (1987).
Shelton, I. IAU Circ. 4316 (1987).
Turtle, A. J., Campbell-Wilson, D., Manchester, R. N., Staveley-Smith, L. & Kesteven, M. J. lAU Circ. 5086 (1990).
Mills, B. Y. Proc. astr. Soc. Austr. 4, 156–159 (1981).
Norris, R. P. Sky Telescope 76, 615–620 (1988).
Norris, R. P., Kesteven, M. J., Wellington, K. J. & Batty, M. J. Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 67, 85–91 (1988).
Jakobsen, P. et al. Astrophys. J. 369, L63–66 (1991).
White, G. L. & Malin, D. ESO Workshop on the SN1987A, 11–17 (European Southern Observatory, Garching, 1987).
Harvey, B. R. et al. Astr. J. (in the press).
Wood, P. R. & Faulkner, D. J. IAU Circ. 4739 (1989).
Luo, D. & McCray, R. Astrophys. J. 372, 194–198 (1991).
Hanuschik, R. W. & Dachs, J. Astr. Astrophys. 182, L29–30 (1987).
Jauncey, D. L. et al. Nature 334, 412–415 (1988).
Pacholczyk, A. G. Radio Astrophysics 171 (Freeman, San Francisco, 1970).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Staveley-Smfth, L., Manchester, R., Kesteven, M. et al. Birth of a radio supernova remnant in supernova 1987A. Nature 355, 147–149 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/355147a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/355147a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
Radio emission from supernova remnants
The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review (2015)