http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.04807
In 1181 AD, Chinese and Japanese observers reported a bright
Guest Star' in the constellation Chuanshe, unmoving and visible for 185 days. In 2013, D. Patchick discovered a unique nebula surrounding a unique star, with two groups attributing this structure, namedPa 30′, to be the supernova remnant of SN 1181, as a sub-subclass of supernova, the low-luminosity Type Iax. Here, I provide a wide range of new observational evidence: First, a detailed analysis of the original Chinese and Japanese reports places the `Guest Star’ of 1181 into a small region with the only interesting source being Pa 30. Second, the ancient records confidently place the peak magnitude as 0.0 > V_peak > -1.4, and hence peak absolute magnitude of -14.5 > M_V,peak > -16.0 mag. Third, the Pa 30 central star is fading from B=14.90 in 1917, to B=16.20 in 1950, to B=16.58 in 2022. Fourth, recent light curves show typical variability with full-amplitude of 0.24 mag on time-scales of one day and longer, critically with no coherent modulations for periods from 0.00046–10 days to strict limits. Fifth, the spectral energy distribution from the far-infrared to the ultraviolet is a nearly perfect power-law with F_nu proportional to nu^(0.99 +- 0.07), observed luminosity of 128 +- 24 L_Sun, and absolute magnitude M_V = +1.07. I collect my new evidences with literature results to make a confident case to connect the Oriental observations to a supernova, then to Pa 30, then to a low-luminosity Type Iax SN, then to the only possible explosion mechanism as a merger between CO and ONe white dwarfs.
B. Schaefer
Fri, 13 Jan 23
42/72
Comments: MNRAS submitted