TY - JOUR
T1 - SN 1991T
T2 - Reflections of past glory
AU - Schmidt, Brian P.
AU - Kirshner, Robert P.
AU - Leibundgut, Bruno
AU - Wells, Lisa A.
AU - Porter, Alain C.
AU - Ruiz-Lapuente, Pilar
AU - Challis, Peter
AU - Filippenko, Alexei V.
PY - 1994/10/10
Y1 - 1994/10/10
N2 - We have obtained photometry and spectra of SN 1991T which extend more than 1000 days past maximum light, by far the longest a SN Ia has been followed. Although SN 199IT exhibited nearly photometric behavior in the first 400 days following maximum, by 600 days its decline had slowed, and by 950 days the supernova brightness was consistent with a constant apparent magnitude of mB = 21.30. Spectra near maximum showed minor variations on the SN Ia theme which grew less conspicuous during the exponential decline. At 270 days the nebular spectrum was composed of Fe and Co lines common to SN Ia. However, by 750 days past maximum light, these lines had shifted in wavelength, and were superposed on a strong blue continuum. The luminosity of SN 1991T at 950 days is more than 9.0 × 1038(D/13 Mpc)2 ergs s-1 with a rate of decline of less than 0.04 mag per 100 days. We show that this emission is likely to be light that was emitted by SN 1991T near maximum light which has reflected from foreground dust, much like the light echos observed around SN 1987A.
AB - We have obtained photometry and spectra of SN 1991T which extend more than 1000 days past maximum light, by far the longest a SN Ia has been followed. Although SN 199IT exhibited nearly photometric behavior in the first 400 days following maximum, by 600 days its decline had slowed, and by 950 days the supernova brightness was consistent with a constant apparent magnitude of mB = 21.30. Spectra near maximum showed minor variations on the SN Ia theme which grew less conspicuous during the exponential decline. At 270 days the nebular spectrum was composed of Fe and Co lines common to SN Ia. However, by 750 days past maximum light, these lines had shifted in wavelength, and were superposed on a strong blue continuum. The luminosity of SN 1991T at 950 days is more than 9.0 × 1038(D/13 Mpc)2 ergs s-1 with a rate of decline of less than 0.04 mag per 100 days. We show that this emission is likely to be light that was emitted by SN 1991T near maximum light which has reflected from foreground dust, much like the light echos observed around SN 1987A.
KW - Supernovae: individual (SN 1991T)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=12044251556&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/187562
DO - 10.1086/187562
M3 - Article
SN - 0004-637X
VL - 434
SP - L19-L23
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
IS - 1 PART 2
ER -