The relativistic three dimensional evolution of SN 1987A

Abstract

The high velocities observed in supernovae require a relativistic treatment for the equation of motion in the presence of gradients in the density of the interstellar medium. The adopted theory is that of the thin layer approximation. The chosen medium is auto-gravitating with respect to an equatorial plane. The differential equation which governs the relativistic conservation of momentum is solved in numerically and by recursion. The asymmetric field of relativistic velocities as well the time dilation are plotted at the age of 1 yr for SN 1987A.