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Narrow lines from SN 1993J

from Part three - Supernovae

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 September 2010

Robert J. Cumming
Affiliation:
Royal Greenwich Observatory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OEZ, U.K.; Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ, U.K.
Peter Meikle
Affiliation:
Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ, U.K.; Royal Greenwich Observatory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OEZ, U.K.
Nic Walton
Affiliation:
Isaac Newton Group, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Apartado 321, 38780 Santa Cruz de La Palma, The Canary Islands, Spain
Peter Lundqvist
Affiliation:
Stockholm Observatory, S-133 36 Saltsjöbaden. Sweden
R. E. S. Clegg
Affiliation:
Royal Greenwich Observatory, Cambridge
I. R. Stevens
Affiliation:
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
W. P. S. Meikle
Affiliation:
University of Birmingham
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Summary

Abstract

We report narrow emission lines observed during the first 10 days of supernova 1993J. The earliest spectra showed resolved, P-Cygni-like Hα emission which declined on a timescale of about 2 days. Fast-declining, unresolved He II and coronal iron lines were also detected. A higherresolution spectrum taken on day 8 after the explosion showed that the Hα line had narrowed to about 90 km s−1 FWHM and had lost its P-Cygni profile. The narrow line emission followed ionisation, by the EUV flash, of dense circumstellar material close to the supernova. A likely explanation for the rapid disappearance of the these lines was that the circumstellar gas was overrun by the expanding supernova shock. However, it may be necessary to also invoke the decline of trapped UV radiation to account for the rapid fading of the Hα line.

Introduction

The detection of narrow emission lines from supernova 1993J gives us a rare opportunity to study the circumstellar medium produced in the preexplosion phase. This can give insights into the evolution and mass loss history of the progenitor star, and test theories of the interaction of a supernova with its surroundings.

Observations

Optical spectra of SN 1993J were obtained with the IDS and ISIS spectrographs on, respectively, the INT and WHT on La Palma. For the first two weeks, spectroscopy was carried out nightly, and less frequently thereafter. The resolution and wavelength coverage varied according to the scheduled observing programme being carried out at the time.

Type
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1994

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  • Narrow lines from SN 1993J
    • By Robert J. Cumming, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OEZ, U.K.; Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ, U.K., Peter Meikle, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ, U.K.; Royal Greenwich Observatory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OEZ, U.K., Nic Walton, Isaac Newton Group, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Apartado 321, 38780 Santa Cruz de La Palma, The Canary Islands, Spain, Peter Lundqvist, Stockholm Observatory, S-133 36 Saltsjöbaden. Sweden
  • Edited by R. E. S. Clegg, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Cambridge, I. R. Stevens, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, W. P. S. Meikle, University of Birmingham
  • Book: Circumstellar Media in Late Stages of Stellar Evolution
  • Online publication: 07 September 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511564628.024
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  • Narrow lines from SN 1993J
    • By Robert J. Cumming, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OEZ, U.K.; Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ, U.K., Peter Meikle, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ, U.K.; Royal Greenwich Observatory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OEZ, U.K., Nic Walton, Isaac Newton Group, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Apartado 321, 38780 Santa Cruz de La Palma, The Canary Islands, Spain, Peter Lundqvist, Stockholm Observatory, S-133 36 Saltsjöbaden. Sweden
  • Edited by R. E. S. Clegg, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Cambridge, I. R. Stevens, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, W. P. S. Meikle, University of Birmingham
  • Book: Circumstellar Media in Late Stages of Stellar Evolution
  • Online publication: 07 September 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511564628.024
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Narrow lines from SN 1993J
    • By Robert J. Cumming, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OEZ, U.K.; Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ, U.K., Peter Meikle, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ, U.K.; Royal Greenwich Observatory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OEZ, U.K., Nic Walton, Isaac Newton Group, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Apartado 321, 38780 Santa Cruz de La Palma, The Canary Islands, Spain, Peter Lundqvist, Stockholm Observatory, S-133 36 Saltsjöbaden. Sweden
  • Edited by R. E. S. Clegg, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Cambridge, I. R. Stevens, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, W. P. S. Meikle, University of Birmingham
  • Book: Circumstellar Media in Late Stages of Stellar Evolution
  • Online publication: 07 September 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511564628.024
Available formats
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