Effect of Supernovae on the Local Interstellar Material

A range of astronomical data indicates that ancient supernovae created the galactic environment of the Sun and sculpted the physical properties of the interstellar medium near the heliosphere. In this paper we review the characteristics of the local interstellar medium that have been affected by supernovae. The kinematics, magnetic field, elemental abundances, and configuration of the nearest interstellar material support the view that the Sun is at the edge of the Loop I superbubble, which has merged into the low density Local Bubble. The energy source for the higher temperature X-ray emitting plasma pervading the Local Bubble is uncertain. Winds from massive stars and nearby supernovae, perhaps from the Sco-Cen Association, may have contributed radioisotopes found in the geologic record and galactic cosmic ray population. Nested supernova shells in the Orion and Sco-Cen regions suggest spatially distinct sites of episodic star formation. The heliosphere properties vary with the pressure of the surrounding interstellar cloud. A nearby supernova would modify this pressure equilibrium and thereby severely disrupt the heliosphere as well as the local interstellar medium.Comment: 30 pages, 7 figures. Author version, updated and modified (several updated and new paragraphs, one new subsection), of an article that was published in the Handbook of Supernovae, A.W. Alsabti, P. Murdin (eds.), Springer, 201

Cosmic-ray acceleration and gamma-ray signals from radio supernovae

In this work the efficiency of particle acceleration at the forward shock right after the SN outburst for the particular case of the well-known SN 1993J is analyzed. Plasma instabilities driven by the energetic particles accelerated at the shock front grow over intraday timescales and drive a fast amplification of the magnetic field at the shock, that can explain the magnetic field strengths deduced from the radio monitoring of the source. The maximum particle energy is found to reach 1-10 PeV depending on the instability dominating the amplification process. We derive the time dependent particle spectra and the associated hadronic signatures of secondary particles arising from proton proton interactions. We find that the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) should easily detect objects like SN 1993J in particular above 1 TeV, while current generation of Cherenkov telescopes such as H.E.S.S. could only marginally detect such events. The gamma-ray signal is found to be heavily absorbed by pair production process during the first week after the outburst. We predict a low neutrino flux above 10 TeV, implying a detectability horizon with a KM3NeT-type telescope of 1 Mpc only. We finally discuss the essential parameters that control the particle acceleration and gamma-ray emission in other type of SNe.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures (Note: conflict of .sty file version explains the problems with journal title and the abstract, apologies for any inconvenience). Appears as Nuclear Physics B Proceedings Supplement 2014 Proceedings of the workshop "Cosmic Ray Origin beyond the standard models", San Vito (2014), ed. by O.Tibolla, L. Drur

SN Shock Evolution in the Circumstellar Medium surrounding SN 1987A

We study the structure of the circumstellar medium surrounding SN 1987A in the equatorial plane. Furthermore, we study the evolution of the SN shock within this medium during the first 25 years, and the resulting hard X-ray and radio emission from the remnant.Comment: 5 pages, 3 Figures. To be published in the proceedings of the conference on "Supernova 1987A: 20 Years After: Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursters" AIP, New York, eds. S. Immler, K.W. Weiler, and R. McCra