TITLE:
Molecular Bipolar Outflow in SN 1987A Supports the Jittering-Jets Explosion Mechanism
AUTHORS:
Noam Soker
KEYWORDS:
Stars: Massive, Supernovae: General, (Stars:) Supernovae: Individual (1987A), Stars: Jets ISM: Supernova Remnants, Planetary Nebulae
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics,
Vol.16 No.4,
October
14,
2026
ABSTRACT: I examine high-quality CO and SiO molecular maps of the core-collapse supernova (CCSN) remnant SN 1987A from the literature and find that the molecular gas exhibits a bipolar structure, correlated with the visible bipolar morphology (termed the keyhole) and the bipolar morphology of the iron emission map. I apply a method commonly used in the study of jet-shaped planetary nebulae. The keyhole has a morphology similar to that of many jet-shaped pairs of bubbles in cooling-flow clusters of galaxies and planetary nebulae. Therefore, the findings of this study, which make the bipolar structure of SN 1987A robust, strengthen the claim that a pair of energetic jets shaped the keyhole and its surroundings. According to the jittering-jets explosion mechanism (JJEM), this pair of jets was the most energetic of several pairs that exploded SN 1987A. This study adds to the accumulating evidence that the JJEM is the primary explosion mechanism for CCSNe, responsible for the majority, if not all, CCSNe.