Herschel detects a massive dust reservoir in supernova 1987A

Authors

M. Matsuura, University College London
E. Dwek, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
M. Meixner, Space Telescope Science Institute
M. Otsuka, Space Telescope Science Institute
B. Babler, University of Wisconsin-Madison
M. J. Barlow, University College London
J. Roman-Duval, Space Telescope Science Institute
C. Engelbracht, The University of Arizona
K. Sandstrom, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
M. Lakićević, Keele University
J. Th Van Loon, Keele University
G. Sonneborn, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
G. C. Clayton, Louisiana State University
K. S. Long, Space Telescope Science Institute
P. Lundqvist, AlbaNova Universitetscentrum
T. Nozawa, The University of Tokyo
K. D. Gordon, Space Telescope Science Institute
S. Hony, Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique CEA
P. Panuzzo, Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique CEA
K. Okumura, Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique CEA
K. A. Misselt, The University of Arizona
E. Montiel, The University of Arizona
M. Sauvage, Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique CEA

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-2-2011

Abstract

We report far-infrared and submillimeter observations of supernova 1987A, the star whose explosion was observed on 23 February 1987 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a galaxy located 160,000 light years away. The observations reveal the presence of a population of cold dust grains radiating with a temperature of about 17 to 23 kelvin at a rate of about 220 times the luminosity of the Sun. The intensity and spectral energy distribution of the emission suggest a dust mass of about 0.4 to 0.7 times the mass of the Sun. The radiation must originate from the supernova ejecta and requires the efficient precipitation of all refractory material into dust. Our observations imply that supernovae can produce the large dust masses detected in young galaxies at very high redshifts.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Science

First Page

1258

Last Page

1261

Recommended Citation

Matsuura, M., Dwek, E., Meixner, M., Otsuka, M., Babler, B., Barlow, M., Roman-Duval, J., Engelbracht, C., Sandstrom, K., Lakićević, M., Van Loon, J., Sonneborn, G., Clayton, G., Long, K., Lundqvist, P., Nozawa, T., Gordon, K., Hony, S., Panuzzo, P., Okumura, K., Misselt, K., Montiel, E., & Sauvage, M. (2011). Herschel detects a massive dust reservoir in supernova 1987A. Science, 333 (6047), 1258-1261. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1205983