发现4100多年前的超新星遗迹——尧帝景星(PKS 1209-52)

The Supernova Remnant of More than 4100 Years Ago Was Discovered---Emperor Yao's Jingxing(PKS 1209-52)

《竹书纪年》记载尧"元年丙子帝即位","四十二年景星见于翼".《论衡》记载"尧时景星见于轸".这可能是出现在翼宿和轸宿之间的超新星.由已知的干支纪年推算尧帝四十二年是公元前2164年.把足够宽的范围(180°±23°)作"翼、轸"之间的过渡区域,在格林(Green)超新星遗迹表中搜索到20颗超新星,只有高银纬遗迹PKS 1209-52(G296.5+10.0)符合尧帝景星"状如半月"的亮度和年龄限制,它是尧帝景星(SN-B.C.2164)的唯一候选体.依据超新星的表面亮度∑与线直径D之间的∑∝D-β演化关系和绝热膨胀理论,算得其绝热相年龄(t=4165 yr)与尧帝时代符合.又据景星亮如"半月"的限制,得到距离d=1-1.2 kpc;按谢多夫(Sedov)关系D=0.94t^(2/5)计算超新星遗迹的年龄,得到尧帝景星的年龄为距今(4450±900)yr,也与尧帝时代符合.这是天文学史上记录的最早超新星之一,把中国文献记载并经科学证实的历史提前到4100多年前.

According to Bamboo Annals,“The year Emperor Yao ascended the throne was the year of Bingzi”and“In the forty-second year of his reign,Jing star appeared on the Yi xiu(constellation)”.LunHeng says that“during the era of emperor Yao,Jing star was seen in the Zhen xiu(constellation)”.This star may be a supernova between Yi xiu and Zhen xiu.Calculated by already known years that was designated by Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches,the 42nd year of Emperor Yao’s reign was B.C.2164.If we take a wide range(180◦±23◦)as the transition area between‘Yi’and‘Zhen’,we can find 20 supernovae in the Green Supernova Remnant Table.Among them,only the high silver latitude remnant PKS 1209-52(G296.5+10.0)conforms to brightness and age limitations of Emperor Yao’s Jing star that appeared“like a half moon”.It is the only candidate of Emperor Yao’s Jing star(SN-B.C.2164).According to the relationship between the surface brightness of supernovae and the line diameter that SNRΣ∝D−β,as well as the adiabatic expansion theory,the adiabatic phase age(t=4165 yr)is calculated to be consistent with the era of Emperor Yao.In addition,according to the limitation that the Jing stars are as bright as“half moon”,the distance d=1–1.2 kpc can be figured out.Then according to the Sedov relation D=0.94t^(2/5),the age of Emperor Yao’s Jing star was(4450±900)years ago.It is also in accordance with the times of Emperor Yao.This is one of the earliest recorded supernovae in the history of astronomy,which advances the history recorded in Chinese literature and confirmed by science to more than 4100 years ago.