Rescued from oblivion: detailed analysis of archival {\it Spitzer} data of SN~1993J

TL;DR

This paper provides a detailed late-time mid-infrared analysis of SN 1993J using archival Spitzer data, revealing dust formation and circumstellar interaction processes over 10 to 26 years post-explosion.

Contribution

It offers the first comprehensive late-time mid-IR analysis of SN 1993J, identifying dust components and their possible origins, filling a gap in existing supernova studies.

Findings

Detected late-time mid-IR excess consistent with two-component dust.

Estimated dust mass of approximately (3.5-6.0)×10^{-3} solar masses.

Evidence suggests dust may be newly formed or heated pre-existing dust.

Abstract

We present an extensive analysis of the late-time mid-infrared (mid-IR) evolution of Type IIb SN 1993J from 10 up to 26 years post-explosion based on archival $-$ mostly previously unpublished $-$ photometric data of Spitzer Space Telescope in conjunction with an archival IRS spectrum. SN 1993J is one of the best-studied supernovae (SNe) with an extensive, decade-long multi-wavelength dataset published in various papers; however, its detailed late-time mid-IR analysis is still missing from the literature. Mid-IR data follows not just the continuously cooling SN ejecta but also late-time dust formation and circumstellar interaction processes. We provide evidence that the observed late-time mid-IR excess of SN 1993J can be described by the presence of two-component local dust with a dust mass of $\sim(3.5-6.0)\times 10^{-3} M_{\odot}$ in case of a partly silicate-based dust composition. Source of these components can be either newly-formed dust grains, or heating of pre-existing dust via ongoing CSM interaction detected also at other wavelengths. If it is newly-formed, dust is assumed to be located both in the unshocked inner ejecta and in the outer cold dense shell, just as found in the Cassiopeia A remnant and also assumed in other dust-forming SNe in a few years after explosion.