A Network of Ejecta Filaments in Cassiopeia A

3D ModelNoAI

Recent observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have unveiled stunning details of a complex web of unshocked ejecta filaments within the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. To understand the origin of this newly discovered filamentary network, we conducted high-resolution 3D simulations of a neutrino-driven supernova explosion, tracing the remnant’s journey from the moment of the star’s core collapse to the age of approximately 1,000 years after the explosion. Our findings reveal that the filamentary structures result from a combination of physical processes: the rapid expansion of neutrino-heated bubbles within the first second after the explosion, hydrodynamic instabilities as the blast wave travels through the star’s layers, and the “Ni-bubble effect” caused by radioactive nickel decay shaping the ejecta after the shock breakout. The network, therefore, provides a unique window on processes active during and immediately after the SN event.

Credits: Orlando et al. (submitted to A&A)