Expansion of the optical remnant of Tycho's supernova

Abstract

Seven plates taken between 1949 and 1977 at the prime focus of the Hale 5-m telescope have been used to study the expansion of the optical remnant of Tycho's supernova. The present expansion time scale for the remnant is found to be 1050 + or - 30 yr, which is close to the adiabatic time scale of 1000 yr that is obtained from a Sedov similarity solution. At an assumed distance of 6 kpc the average expansion velocity of the remnant is 15,600 km/s.