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ALMA spectral survey of Supernova 1987A-molecular inventory, chemistry, dynamics and explosive nucleosynthesis

Matsuura, M.; Indebetouw, R.; Woosley, S.; Bujarrabal, V.; Abellan, F. J.; McCray, R.; Kamenetzky, J.; Fransson, C.; Barlow, M. J.; Gomez, H. L.; Cigan, P.; De Looze, I.; Spyromilio, J.; Staveley-Smith, L.; Zanardo, G.; Roche, P.; Larsson, J.; Viti, S.; va

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
2017
VL / 469 - BP / 3347 - EP / 3362
abstract
We report the first molecular line survey of Supernova 1987A in the millimetre wavelength range. In the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 210-300 and 340360 GHz spectra, we detected cold (20-170 K) CO, (SiO)-Si-28, HCO+ and SO, with weaker lines of 29SiO from ejecta. This is the first identification of HCO+ and SO in a young supernova remnant. We find a dip in the J = 6-5 and 5-4 SiO line profiles, suggesting that the ejecta morphology is likely elongated. The difference of theCOand SiO line profiles is consistent with hydrodynamic simulations, which showthat Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities causemixing of gas, with heavier elements much more disturbed, making more elongated structure. We obtained isotopologue ratios of (SiO)-Si-28/(SiO)-Si-29> 13, (SiO)-Si-28/(SiO)-Si-30> 14 and (CO)-C-12/(CO)-C-13 > 21, with the most likely limits of (SiO)-Si-28/(SiO)-Si-29 > 128, (SiO)-Si-28/(SiO)-Si-30 > 189. Low Si-29 and Si-30 abundances in SN 1987A are consistent with nucleosynthesis models that show inefficient formation of neutron-rich isotopes in a low-metallicity environment, such as the Large Magellanic Cloud. The deduced large mass of HCO+ (similar to 5 x 10(-6)M(circle dot)) and small SiS mass (< 6 x 10-5M(circle dot)) might be explained by some mixing of elements immediately after the explosion. The mixing might have caused some hydrogen from the envelope to sink into carbon- and oxygen-rich zones after the explosion, enabling the formation of a substantial mass of HCO+. Oxygen atoms may have penetrated into silicon and sulphur zones, suppressing formation of SiS. Our ALMA observations open up a new window to investigate chemistry, dynamics and explosive nucleosynthesis in supernovae.

AccesS level

Green accepted, Green published

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