Laboratory simulation of the collision of supernova 1987A with its circumstellar ring nebula

The collision of the remnant of supernova 1987A with its circumstellar ring is laboratory-simulated by using the Gekko XII laser fusion facility at th e Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University. The pure hydrodynamic a pproximation was applied using the invariance of the Euler equations. The b asic properties of the formation of a young supernova remnant and its colli sion with the ring are illustrated. Shock wave propagation and plasma flow with triple wavy, vortex ringlike structures were observed using gated X-ra y shadowgraphy. The observed hydrodynamic behaviors compare favorably with one- and two-dimensional numerical simulations and further illustrate impor tant qualitative trends. Our experiments suggest the shock reverberation be tween the ring and the contact discontinuity in the supernova remnant 1987A and resultant oscillation and enhancement of X-ray emission, as well as th e emergence of downstream vortex structures. (C) 2001 MAIK "Nauka/Interperi odica".