HST Parallel Imaging of Diffuse Ionized Gas in the Vicinity of SN 1987A

Session 17 - Supernovae.
Display session, Monday, January 15
North Banquet Hall, Convention Center

[17.07] HST Parallel Imaging of Diffuse Ionized Gas in the Vicinity of SN 1987A

D. R. Garnett (U. Minnesota), Y. -H. Chu (U. Illinois), J. R. Walsh (ST-ECF), B. Lasker (STScI), J. Lequeux (Obs. de Paris), J. Meaburn (U. Manchester), M. Heydari-Malayeri (Inst. d'Astrophysique), G. Meylan (ESO), M. Azzopardi, N. Meysonnier (Obs. de Marseille)

We present HST WFPC2 imaging of diffuse ionized nebulae in two fields near SN 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud, taken in parallel with direct observations of the supernova. The parallel imaging samples regions approximately 8 arcmin from the SN, one field to the west of the SN, and the second to the northeast. The two fields represent contrasting evolutionary states in the outskirts of the 30 Doradus complex.

The first field, imaged in H\alpha, [O III]\lambda5007, and the continuum F547M and F675W filters, shows a number of overlapping filamentary shell structures, including a classic case of a shocked wind-blown bubble. The structures in this field suggest a relatively evolved region of massive star formation. We have also derived a color-magnitude relation from our F547M and F675W images.

The second field, imaged in H\alpha and F675W, displays more signs of active star formation. There are no signs of evolved structures, such as bubble nebulae, and there is more dust. We identify two small dark nebulae that may be the first examples of Bok globules identified in the Magellanic Clouds.

Program listing for Monday