English

The Production of Ti44 and Co60 in Supernova

Astrophysics 2009-10-28 v1

Abstract

The production of the radioactive isotopes 44^{44}Ti and 60^{60}Co in all types of supernovae is examined and compared to observational constraints including Galactic γ\gamma--ray surveys, measurements of the diffuse 511 keV radiation, γ\gamma--ray observations of Cas A, the late time light curve of SN 1987A, and isotopic anomalies found in silicon carbide grains in meteorites. The (revised) line flux from 44^{44}Ti decay in the Cas A supernova remnant reported by COMPTEL on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory is near the upper bound expected from our models. The necessary concurrent ejection of 56^{56}Ni would also imply that Cas A was a brighter supernova than previously thought unless extinction in the intervening matter was very large. Thus, if confirmed, the reported amount of 44^{44}Ti in Cas A provides very interesting constraints on both the supernova environment and its mechanism. The abundances of 44^{44}Ti and 60^{60}Co ejected by Type II supernovae are such that gamma-radiation from 44^{44}Ti decay SN 1987A could be detected by a future generation of gamma-ray telescopes and that the decay of 60^{60}Co might provide an interesting contribution to the late time light curve of SN 1987A and other Type II supernovae. To produce the solar 44^{44}Ca abundance and satisfy all the observational constraints, nature may prefer at least the occasional explosion of sub-Chandrasekhar mass white dwarfs as Type Ia supernovae. Depending on the escape fraction of positrons due to 56^{56}Co made in all kinds of Type Ia supernovae, a significant fraction of the steady state diffuse 511 keV emission may arise from the annihilation of positrons produced during the decay of 44^{44}Ti to 44^{44}Ca. The Ca and Ti isotopic anomalies in pre-solar grains confirm the production of 44^{44}Ti in supernovae and that

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.astro-ph/9511142,
  title  = {The Production of Ti44 and Co60 in Supernova},
  author = {F. X. Timmes and S. E. Woosley and D. H. Hartmann and R. D. Hoffman},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/9511142},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

27 pages including 7 figures. uuencoded, compressed, postscript. in press ApJ