The X-ray spectrum and light curve of Supernova 1995N
Abstract
We report on multi-epoch X-ray observations of the Type IIn (narrow emission line) Supernova (SN) 1995N with the ROSAT and ASCA satellites. The 1998 January ASCA X-ray spectrum is well fitted by a thermal bremsstrahlung (kT~10keV, NH~6×1020cm-2) or power-law (α~1.7, NH~1021cm-2) model. The X-ray light curve shows evidence for significant flux evolution between 1996 August and 1998 January: the count rate from the source decreased by 30per cent between our 1996 August and 1997 August ROSAT observations, and the X-ray luminosity most likely increased by a factor of ~2 between our 1997 August ROSAT and 1998 January ASCA observations, although evolution of the spectral shape over this interval is not ruled out. The high X-ray luminosity, LX~1041ergs-1, places SN 1995N in a small group of Type IIn supernovae with strong circumstellar interaction, and the evolving X-ray luminosity suggests that the circumstellar medium is distributed inhomogeneously.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- December 2000
- DOI:
- 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2000.03941.x
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0008410
- Bibcode:
- 2000MNRAS.319.1154F
- Keywords:
-
- CIRCUMSTELLAR MATTER;
- SUPERNOVAE: INDIVIDUAL: SN 1995N;
- X-RAYS: STARS;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- MNRAS accepted. 6 pages, 2 figures