While theoretical dust condensation models predict that most refractory elements produced in core-collapse supernovae ( SNe ) efficiently condense into dust , a large quantity of dust has so far only been observed in SN 1987A .
We present the analysis of Spitzer Space Telescope , Herschel Space Observatory , Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy ( SOFIA ) , and AKARI observations of the infrared ( IR ) shell surrounding the pulsar wind nebula in the supernova remnant G54.1+0.3 .
We attribute a distinctive spectral feature at 21 µm to a magnesium silicate grain species that has been invoked in modeling the ejecta-condensed dust in Cas A , which exhibits the same spectral signature .
If this species is responsible for producing the observed spectral feature and accounts for a significant fraction of the observed IR continuum , we find that it would be the dominant constituent of the dust in G54.1+0.3 , with possible secondary contributions from other compositions , such as carbon , silicate , or alumina grains .
The smallest mass of SN-formed dust required by our models is 1.1 \pm 0.8 M _ { \odot } .
We discuss how these results may be affected by varying dust grain properties and self-consistent grain heating models .
The spatial distribution of the dust mass and temperature in G54.1+0.3 confirms the scenario in which the SN-formed dust has not yet been processed by the SN reverse shock and is being heated by stars belonging to a cluster in which the SN progenitor exploded .
The dust mass and composition suggest a progenitor mass of 16–27 M _ { \odot } and imply a high dust condensation efficiency , similar to that found for Cas A and SN 1987A .
The study provides another example of significant dust formation in a Type IIP SN and sheds light on the properties of pristine SN-condensed dust .