Spitzer Space Telescope Observations of Kepler’s Supernova Remnant: A Detailed Look at the Circumstellar Dust Component

Abstract

We present 3.6 - 160 micron infrared images of Kepler's supernova remnant (SN1604) obtained with the IRAC and MIPS instruments on the Spitzer Space Telescope. We also present MIPS SED low resolution spectra in the 55 - 95 micron region. The observed emission in the MIPS 24 micron band shows the entire shell. Emission in the MIPS 70 micron and IRAC 8 micron bands is seen only from the brightest regions of 24 micron emission, which also correspond to the regions seen in optical Halpha images. Shorter wavelength IRAC images are increasingly dominated by stars, although faint filaments are discernible. The SED spectrum of shows a faint continuum dropping off to longer wavelengths and confirms that strong line emission does not dominate the mid-IR spectral region. The emission we see is due primarily to warm dust emission from dust heated by the primary blast wave; no excess infrared emission is observed in regions where supernova ejecta are seen in X-rays. We use models of the dust to interpret the observed 70/24 micron ratio and constrain the allowed range of temperatures and densities. We estimate the current mass of dust in the warm dust component to be 5.4 x 10^{-4} solar masses, and infer an original mass of about 3 x 10^{-3} solar masses before grain sputtering. The MIPS 160 micron band shows no emission belonging to the remnant. We place a conservative but temperature dependent upper limit on any cold dust component roughly a factor of 10 below the cold dust mass inferred from SCUBA observations. Finally, we comment on issues relevant to the possible precursor star and the supernova type.