Light Echoes From Supernova 2014J in M82

Abstract

Type Ia SN 2014J exploded in the nearby starburst galaxy M82 = NGC 3032, and was discovered at Earth about seven days later on 2014 January 21, reaching V maximum light around 2014 February 5. SN 2014J is the closest SN Ia in at least four decades and probably many more. Recent HST/WFC3 imaging (2014 September 5 and 2015 February 2) of M82 around SN 2014J reveals a light echo at radii of about 0.6 arcsec from the SN (corresponding to about 12 pc at the distance of M82). Likely additional light echoes reside at a smaller radii of about 0.4 arcsec. The major echo signal corresponds to echoing material about 330 pc in the foreground of SN 2014J, and tends to be bright where pre-existing nebular structure in M82 is also bright. The second, likely echo corresponds to foreground distances of 80 pc in front of the SN. Even one year after maximum light, there are indications of further echo structures appearing at smalle radii, and future observations may show how extinction in these affect detected echo farther from the SN, which will affect interpretion of details of the three-dimensional structure of this gas and dust. Given enough data we might even use these considerations to constrain the near-SN material's shadowing on distant echoing clouds, even without directly observing the foreground structure. This is in addition to echoes in the near future might also reveal circumstellar structure around SN 2014J's progenitor star from direct imaging observations and other techniques.