THE FREEZE-OUT PHASE OF SN 1987A - IMPLICATIONS FOR THE LIGHT-CURVE

After approximately 800 days, time-dependent effects due to long recom bination and cooling times lead to a frozen-in structure of the ejecta of SN 1987A. The result is a higher bolometric luminosity, compared t o models where the emitted luminosity is equal to the instantaneous en ergy input. Good agreement with the observed light curve of SN 1987A i s obtained with an initial Ni-57/Ni-56 ratio 2 times the solar Fe-57/F e-56 ratio, while steady state models require a factor of 2 more. Cons istency with both the Co-57 mass from IR line observations, X-ray, and gamma-ray observations, and from models of the nucleosynthesis can th us be obtained.