Next: Introduction
Superresolution of SN 1987A:
A Comparative Deconvolution Study
D. S. Briggs
National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box 0, Socorro, NM 87801
Abstract:
Supernova 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud presents unprecedented
opportunity to observe the evolution of a supernova at all wavelengths.
While optical observations with the HST Faint Object Camera have obtained
resolutions of 0."1, we are limited in the radio to the resolution
obtainable with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). At the highest
frequency of 8.8 GHz, this corresponds to a synthesized beam width of 0."9.
At this resolution the radio supernova is distinct from a point source, but
few physical conclusions can be drawn. We present here superresolved images
from the ATCA with an effective resolution of 0."5. These reveal
a spherical shell-like structure with a radius of 0."6, and an
additional component of emission aligned with the circumstellar ring imaged
with the FOC. Care is required due to the delicate nature of the imaging
problem, and we present evidence that the overall image structure is
plausible.
Keywords:
Superresolution, Radio