Identify the explosion mechanism and progenitor of SN 1054 (the Crab Nebula)

Determine the specific progenitor star type and supernova explosion mechanism that produced the Crab Nebula (SN 1054), distinguishing among possibilities such as an electron-capture supernova from a super-asymptotic giant branch star with a degenerate O–Ne–Mg core and a low-mass iron-core-collapse supernova, by reconciling observational constraints from pulsar wind nebula morphology, ejecta filament kinematics and composition, dust distribution, and Ni/Fe abundance ratios.

Background

The Crab Nebula’s properties have long been interpreted as consistent with an electron-capture supernova (ECSN), but more recent work indicates that a broader range of models, including low-mass iron-core-collapse explosions, can also match observations. The object exhibits an unusually low kinetic energy for the observed brightness, complex filamentary structure, a pulsar wind nebula, and elevated Ni/Fe abundance ratios.

This paper uses JWST imaging and spectroscopy to map dust, measure synchrotron properties, and derive Ni/Fe ratios. While the authors find several lines of evidence consistent with a low-mass iron-core-collapse supernova, they also conclude that an electron-capture explosion cannot be definitively excluded, leaving the explosion type unresolved.