Supernova Explosions in Winds and Bubbles, with Applications to SN 1987A

Abstract

Massive stars can significantly modify the surrounding medium during their lifetime. When the stars explode as supernovae, the resulting shock wave expands within this modified medium and not within the interstellar medium. We explore the evolution of the medium around massive stars, and the expansion of the shock wave within this medium. We then apply these results to understanding the expansion of the shock wave in the ambient medium surrounding SN 1987A, and the evolution of the radio and X-ray emission in this case.