Barlow, MJ; (2025) The supernova 1987A system and its recent evolution–a review. Contemporary Physics 10.1080/00107514.2025.2562755. (In press).

Text barlow25_SN1987A-review_arxiv.pdf - Accepted Version Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 30 October 2026. Download (5MB)

Abstract

Supernova 1987A was the closest supernova event to be observed in nearly 400 years. The outflowing ejecta from the explosion continues to interact with extended circumstellar material and with the equatorial ring (ER) in the triple ring system, while observations of the system have continued across the whole electromagnetic spectrum. This review mainly focuses on works published over the past ten years on Supernova 1987A and its remnant. These include (a) submillimetre, infrared and X-ray studies of molecules, ions and dust in the ejecta, and (b) infrared, optical and X-ray studies of dust and ionised gas in the ER and in the surrounding circumstellar medium, including their time evolution as the ER is shocked and eroded by the impact of high velocity ejecta. Since 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope has become available for high angular resolution infrared observations of Supernova 1987A and has made significant contributions to both (a) and (b) above. Its discovery of redshifted narrow-line emission from multiple ion species located at the centre of the ejecta strongly requires the presence there of either a cooling hot neutron star, or a pulsar wind nebula, to power the emission.

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