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E. Polomski, R. D. Gehrz, C. E. Woodward, M. Boyer (University of Minnesota), T. L. Roellig (NASA Ames Research Center)
We present new Spitzer observations of the well known supernova remnant, SN 1987A. Spitzer's milli-Jy spectroscopic sensitivity, paired with an imaging super-resolution of 0.3\arcsec/pixel, offers a unique opportunity to study the thermal emission of SN 1987A across a large wavelength regime for the first time since its initial outburst. SN 1987A was the first supernova observed by naked eye in almost 400 years and has been intensely studied at all wavelengths with a wide array of telescopes and instrumentation. Hubble Space Telescope optical imaging of this object shows a triple-ringed structure spanning \approx5\arcsec diameter (Burrows et al. 1995, ApJ 452, 680). These rings are believed to be material originating in an earlier stellar wind and mass-loss phase of the progenitor star and is now being heated by an expanding shock wave from the supernova remnant (SNR). Near-infrared imaging has shown that the remnant size is slowly increasing over time as the shock wave continues to expand outward.
We present Spitzer IRAC imaging spanning the 3-8 \mum regime and IRS spectroscopy in the 5-25 \mum regime. Our observations are the first detections of the remnant in the 3-8 \mum regime since ISO observations in 1998 (Fischera et al. 2002, A&A 395, 189) and boad-band 10 \mum imaging in 2003 by Bouchet et al. (2004, ApJ 611, 394) and the first mid-IR spectroscopy since KAO measurements in 1988. We discuss the source of the IR emission and estimate a dust mass from our photometry.
This work is suported in part by NASA (JPL/SSC-1256406, 1215746)
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.