The radio remnant of SN1993J: an instrumental explanation for the evolving complex structure

TL;DR

This study uses simulations to show that instrumental effects and uv-plane sampling significantly influence VLBI images of supernova SN1993J, cautioning against direct interpretation of observed complex structures.

Contribution

It demonstrates that many complex features in VLBI images of SN1993J are due to instrumental sampling effects, not intrinsic source structure.

Findings

Simulated images reproduce observed azimuthal features.

Incomplete uv-coverage causes significant imaging artifacts.

Instrumental effects can mimic complex supernova structures.

Abstract

We present simulated images of Supernova 1993J at 8.4 GHz using Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) techniques. A spherically symmetric source model is convolved with realistic uv-plane distributions, together with standard imaging procedures, to assess the extent of instrumental effects on the recovered brightness distribution. In order to facilitate direct comparisons between the simulations and published VLBI images of SN1993J, the observed uv-coverage is determined from actual VLBI observations made in the years following its discovery. The underlying source model only exhibits radial variation in its density profile, with no azimuthal dependence and, even though this model is morphologically simple, the simulated VLBI observations qualitatively reproduce many of the azimuthal features of the reported VLBI observations, such as appearance and evolution of complex azimuthal structure and apparent rotation of the shell. We demonstrate that such features are inexorably coupled to the uv-plane sampling. The brightness contrast between the peaks and the surrounding shell material are not as prominent in the simulations (which of course assume no antenna- or baseline-based amplitude or phase errors, meaning no self-calibration procedures will have incorporated any such features in models). It is conclusive that incomplete uv-plane sampling has a drastic effect on the final images for observations of this nature. Difference imaging reveals residual emission up to the 8 sigma level. Extreme care should be taken when using interferometric observations to directly infer the structure of objects such as supernovae.