Determine whether the H-alpha emission is associated with ongoing supernova shock interaction

Determine whether the H-alpha flux detected at the position of SN 1983V is associated with ongoing shock interaction from the decades-old supernova rather than with a coincident, highly reddened H II region.

Background

The paper identifies a point source in the HST/F657N narrow-band image at the position of the JWST mid-infrared source, while the source is absent from the HST broad-band images. This combination is consistent with H-alpha emission from late-time circumstellar-medium interaction, but contamination by a nearby H II region cannot be definitively excluded.

The authors therefore treat the association between the H-alpha source and SN 1983V as a conjecture rather than a confirmed interpretation. Establishing the source’s nature requires observations capable of separating the supernova from the neighboring H II region, particularly higher-resolution spectroscopy.

References

It is a plausible conjecture that the H$\alpha$ flux we detect is associated with ongoing shock interaction from a decades-old SN.

— A Significant Dust Reservoir Uncovered with JWST in the Type Ic SN 1983V More Than 40 Years Post-Explosion  (2609.19263 - Kressy et al., 16 Sep 2026) in Section 2.2, “HST Optical Counterpart?”