Explaining the morphology of supernova remnant (SNR) 1987A with the jittering jets explosion mechanism

TL;DR

This paper supports the idea that jets played a crucial role in the explosion and morphology of supernova remnant 1987A, drawing parallels with other jet-shaped remnants and planetary nebulae, and advocates for a paradigm shift to jet-driven supernova models.

Contribution

It provides morphological evidence linking jets to SN 1987A's structure and explores the jittering jets explosion mechanism as an explanation for observed features.

Findings

SN 1987A shares features with jet-shaped supernova remnants.

The jittering jets mechanism can account for the remnant's structure.

Unequal jets may explain asymmetries in supernova remnants.

Abstract

We find that the remnant of supernova (SN) 1987A share some morphological features with four supernova remnants (SNRs) that have signatures of shaping by jets, and from that we strengthen the claim that jets played a crucial role in the explosion of SN 1987A. Some of the morphological features appear also in planetary nebulae where jets are observed. The clumpy ejecta bring us to support the claim that the jittering jets explosion mechanism can account for the structure of the remnant of SN 1987A, i.e., SNR 1987A. We conduct a preliminary attempt to quantify the fluctuations in the angular momentum of the mass that is accreted on to the newly born neutron star via an accretion disk or belt. The accretion disk/belt launches the jets that explode core collapse supernovae (CCSNe). The relaxation time of the accretion disk/belt is comparable to the duration of a typical jet-launching episode in the jittering jets explosion mechanism, and hence the disk/belt has no time to relax. We suggest that this might explain unequal two opposite jets that later lead to unequal sides of the elongated structures in SNR of CCSNe. We reiterate our earlier call for a paradigm shift from neutrino-driven explosion to a jet-driven explosion of CCSNe.