NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment observations of Co-57 in SN 1987AThe Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory has observed SN 1987A for two 2 week periods during the first 9 months of the mission. Evidence for gamma-ray line and continuum emission from Co-57 is observed with an intensity of about 10 exp -4 gamma/sq cm/s. This photon flux between 50 and 136 keV is demonstrated by Monte Carlo calculations to be independent of the radial distribution of Co-57 for models of low optical depth, viz., models having photoelectric absorption losses of 122 keV photons no greater than several percent. For such models the observed Co-57 flux indicates that the ratio Ni-57/Ni-56 produced in the explosion was about 1.5 times the solar system ratio of Fe-57/Fe-56. When compared with nearly contemporaneous bolometric estimates of the luminosity for SN 1987A, our observations imply that Co-57 radioactivity does not account for most of the current luminosity of the supernova remnant in low optical depth models. We suggest alternatives, including a large optical depth model that is able to provide the SN 1987A luminosity and is consistent with the OSSE flux. It requires a 57/56 production ratio about twice solar.
Document ID
19930031023
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Kurfess, J. D.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Johnson, W. N.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Kinzer, R. L.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Kroeger, R. A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Strickman, M. S.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Grove, J. E.
(U.S. Navy E.O. Hulburt Center for Space Research, Washington, United States)
Leising, M. D.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Clayton, D. D.
(Clemson Univ. SC, United States)
Grabelsky, D. A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Purcell, W. R.
(Northwestern Univ. Evanston, IL, United States)
Date Acquired
August 15, 2013
Publication Date
November 10, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: Astrophysical Journal, Part 2 - Letters
Volume: 399
Issue: 2
ISSN: 0004-637X
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Accession Number
93A15020
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NASA ORDER S-10987-C
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available