Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1779525 | New Astronomy | 2011 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
We present an analysis of archival X-ray observations of the Type IIL supernova SN 1979C. We find that its X-ray luminosity is remarkably constant at (6.5 ± 0.1) Ã 1038 erg sâ1 over a period of 12 years between 1995 and 2007. The high and steady luminosity is considered as possible evidence for a stellar-mass (â¼5-10 Mâ) black hole accreting material from either a supernova fallback disk or from a binary companion, or possibly from emission from a central pulsar wind nebula. We find that the bright and steady X-ray light curve is not consistent with either a model for a supernova powered by magnetic braking of a rapidly rotating magnetar, or a model where the blast wave is expanding into a dense circumstellar wind.
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Authors
D.J. Patnaude, A. Loeb, C. Jones,