A progenitor model of SN 1987A based on the slow-merger scenario. (23rd November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Urushibata, Takaki; Takahashi, Koh; Umeda, Hideyuki; Yoshida, Takashi
• Is Part Of: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Volume 473:Number 1(2018:Jan.)
• Page Start: L101
• Page End: L105
• Publication Date: 2017-11-23
• Subjects: binaries: close -- stars: evolution -- supernovae: individual: SN 1987A; Astronomy -- Research -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 520.5
• DOI: 10.1093/mnrasl/slx166
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1745-3933

Abstract

Abstract: Even after elaborate investigations spanning 30 years, it is still not understand how the progenitor of SN 1987A has evolved. In order to explain the unusual red-to-blue evolution, previous studies have suggested that in the red giant stage an increase either in the surface helium abundance or in the envelope mass was necessary. It is usually supposed that the helium enhancement is caused by rotational mixing, and that the mass increase is the result of a binary merger. We have thus investigated these scenarios thoroughly. We found that rotating single-star models do not satisfy all the observational constraints and that the enhancement of the envelope mass alone does not explain the observations. Here, we consider a slow-merger scenario in which both the helium abundance and the envelope mass enhancements are expected to occur. We show that most of the observational constraints, such as the red-to-blue evolution, lifetime, total mass and position in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram at collapse, and the chemical anomalies are well reproduced by a merger model with 14 and 9 M⊙ stars. We also discuss the effects of the added envelope spin in the merger scenarios.