Evidence for a Black Hole Remnant in the Type IIL Supernova 1979C

Understand

We present an analysis of archival X-ray observations of the Type IIL supernova SN 1979C.

• We find that its X-ray luminosity is remarkably constant at (6.5+/-0.1) x 10^38 erg/s over a period of 12 years between 1995 and 2007.
• The high and steady luminosity is considered as possible evidence for a stellar-mass (~ 5-10Msun) black hole accreting material from either a supernova fallback disk or from a binary companion, or possibly from emission from a central pulsar wind nebula.
• We find that the bright and steady X-ray light curve is not consistent with either a model for a supernova powered by magnetic braking of a rapidly rotating magnetar, or a model where the blast wave is expanding into a dense circumstellar wind.