The Bolometric Light Curve of SN 1987A

Abstract

Perhaps the most fundamental quantity needed for understanding the physics of SN 1987A is the temporal evolution of the bolometric luminosity. The calculation of the bolometric luminosity must sum together the all the flux, from the gamma rays to the microwave that is associated with the energy generated within the supernova nebula yet exclude the flux which is not part of the prompt energy release from these sources, such as the flux from an echo or stars which lie along the line-of-sight. The bolometric luminosity can be divided into two disjoint ranges, the ultraviolet-optical-infrared luminosity (the “uvoir” luminosity or L _uvoir ), and the “high-energy” luminosity of gamma and X-rays observed from space. The latter represents the energy as it is produced from the radioactive decay of the nuclides produced in the supernova explosion or the Compton scatterings associated with the high-energy radiation. L _uvoir is produced by that part of the energy from the shock that goes into radiation (as opposed to mechanical energy) for the first few weeks after outburst, and the thermalized photons from the radioactive decays for the late-time evolution. Other energy sources, such as a buried pulsar may contribute to either the high-energy or uvoir flux. The comparison of the observed L _uvoir and the predictions of the models can provide measures for the type and amount of radioactive nuclides synthesized in the explosion, and can constrain the existence of other sources of energy.