Authors:

Madeline G Taylor

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About Paper:

Supernovae (SNe) are stellar explosions that occur at the end of a massive star's life (at least ~8 - 10 solar masses in size). Cassiopeia A (Cas A) is an instance of the debris field left behind by a SN that exploded 350 years ago. As light from the SN travels in all directions, photons reflect off the interstellar medium (ISM), which causes the light from the initial explosion to arrive hundreds of years after the original light reaches Earth. With this delay in time for light traveling, called a light echo (LE), we observe the SN at an earlier point in its evolution. This property of LEs enables researchers to observe the evolution of the SN and provides different viewing angles. We determine the characteristics of nearby dust, such as density and distance from remnant, by measuring across different filters and building a spectral energy distribution (SED) of emission. Our work makes it possible to model the composition of the ISM as well as the geometry and emitting properties of the explosion. Since interstellar dust plays a critical role in the formation of new stars and planetary systems, understanding its behavior and lifecycle is essential. Our analysis can also provide new insights into the shock breakout phase of a SN. Keywords: Supernova; SED; Infrared; Light Echoes; Cassiopeia A

Source:

Purdue University / 2025

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Co-authors:

Madeline G Taylor