On the Emergence and Discovery of Hot Spots in SNR 1987A
Crotts, Arlin P. S.; Lawrence, Stephen S.; Heathcote, Steve; Bouchet, Patrice; Sugerman, Ben E.; Uglesich, Robert
United States, Chile
Abstract
We present the discovery of several new regions of interaction between the ejecta and equatorial circumstellar ring of SN 1987A, an interaction leading to a much-expanded development of the supernova remnant. We also trace the development of the first such ``hot spot,'' discovered in 1997, back to 1995. Later hot spots seem to have emerged by early 1999. We discuss mechanisms for the long delay between the first and later spots. Based in part on archival observations obtained with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by AURA, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555.