We have conducted a radio study at 3.6, 6 and 20 cm using ATCA and VLA and reprocessed XMM-Newton and Chandra data of the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) in the supernova remnant (SNR) G0.9+0.1. The new observations revealed that the morphology and symmetry suggested by Chandra observations (torus and jet-like features) are basically preserved in the radio range in spite of the rich structure observed in the radio emission of this PWN, including several arcs, bright knots, extensions and filaments. The reprocessed X-ray images show for the first time that the X-ray plasma fills almost the same volume as the radio PWN. Notably the X-ray maximum does not coincide with the radio maximum and the neutron star candidate CXOU J174722.8-280915 lies within a small depression in the radio emission. From the new radio data we have refined the flux density estimates, obtaining S(PWN) ~ 1.57 Jy, almost constant between 3.6 and 20 cm. For the whole SNR (compact core and shell), a flux density S(at 20 cm)= 11.5 Jy was estimated. Based on the new and the existing 90 cm flux density estimates, we derived alpha(PWN)=-0.18+/-0.04 and alpha(shell)=-0.68+/- 0.07. From the combination of the radio data with X-ray data, a spectral break is found near nu ~ 2.4 x 10^(12) Hz. The total radio PWN luminosity is L(radio)=1.2 x 10^(35) erg s^(-1) when a distance of 8.5 kpc is adopted. By assuming equipartition between particle and magnetic energies, we estimate a nebular magnetic field B = 56 muG. The associated particle energy turns out to be U(part)=5 x 10^(47) erg and the magnetic energy U(mag)=2 x 10^(47) erg. Based on an empirical relation between X-ray luminosity and pulsar energy loss rate, and the comparison with the calculated total energy, a lower limit of 1100 yr is derived for the age of this PWN.
A spherically symmetric model is presented for the interaction of a pulsar wind with the associated supernova remnant. This results in a pulsar wind nebula whose evolution is coupled to the evolution of the surrounding supernova remnant. This evolution can be divided in three stages. The first stage is characterised by a supersonic expansion of the pulsar wind nebula into the freely expanding ejecta of the progenitor star. In the next stage the pulsar wind nebula is not steady; the pulsar wind nebula oscillates between contraction and expansion due to interaction with the reverse shock of the …
Important results achieved over the last years on supernova remnants, planetary nebulae and superbubbles are briefly reviewed in the context of X-ray observations. I intend to review the important open scientific questions in these fields, and the specific contributions that can be made by XMM-Newton.
Supernovae descendent from massive stars explode in media that have been modified by their progenitors' mass loss and UV radiation. The supernova ejecta will first interact with the circumstellar material shed by the progenitors at late evolutionary stages, and then interact with the interstellar material. Circumstellar nebulae in supernova remnants can be diagnosed by their small expansion velocities and high [N II]/H$α$ ratios. The presence of circumstellar nebulae appears ubiquitous among known young supernova remnants. These nebulae can be compared to those around evolved massive stars to …
The Crab Nebula is likely to be expanding into freely expanding supernova ejecta, although the energy in the ejecta may be less than is typical for a Type II supernova. Pulsar nebulae much younger than the Crab have not been found and could have different properties. The search for such nebulae through ultraviolet/optical line emission in core collapse supernovae, or through their X-ray emission (which could show strong absorption) is warranted. Neutron stars have now been found in many young supernova remnants. There is not a clear link between neutron star and remnant type, although there is…
I review several topics in the structure of supernova remnants. Hydrodynamic instabilities in young remnants may give rise to the cellular structure that is sometimes observed, although structure in the ejecta might also play a role. The presence of ejecta close to the forward shock front of a young remnant can be the result of ejecta clumps or the dynamical effects of cosmic rays. Slower moving ejecta clumps can affect the outer shock structure of older remnants such as Vela. Young remnants typically show a circular structure, but often have a one-sided asymmetry; the likely reasons are an as…
We report the discovery of a partial ~2deg. diameter non-thermal radio shell coincident with Taz, the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) in the error box of the apparently variable gamma-ray source 3EG J1809-2328. We propose that this radio shell is a newly identified supernova remnant (SNR G7.5-1.7) associated with the PWN. The SNR surrounds an amorphous region of thermal X-rays detected in archival ROSAT and ASCA observations putting this system in the mixed-morphology class of supernova remnants. G7.5-1.7 is the fifth such supernova remnant coincident with a bright GeV source, and the fourth containi…
In the late 1960s the discovery of the Crab pulsar in its associated supernova remnant, launched a new field in supernova remnant research: the study of pulsar-driven or plerionic supernova remnants. In these type of remnants, the relativistic wind emitted by the pulsar, blows a pulsar wind nebula into the interior of its supernova remnant. Now, more then forty years after the discovery of the Crab pulsar, there are more then fifty plerionic supernova remnants known, due to the ever-increasing capacity of observational facilities. I will review our current understanding of the different evolut…
We report the discovery of a small Halpha nebula positionally coincident with the candidate neutron star AX J0851.9-4617.4 located at the center of the supernova remnant G 266.1-1.2. The nebula has a roughly circular shape with a diameter of ~6'' and a flux of ~10^-2 photons cm^-2 s^-1 in the Halpha line. Considering the uncertainties in the distance and energy output from the putative neutron star, we find that such a flux can be explained either in a bow-shock model or assuming that the nebular emission is due to photo-ionization and heating of the ambient gas.
We present radio observations of a region in the vicinity of the young pulsar PSR B1853+01 in the supernova remnant W44. The pulsar is located at the apex of an extended feature with cometary morphology. We argue on the basis of its morphology and its spectral index and polarization properties that this is a synchrotron nebula produced by the spin down energy of the pulsar. The geometry and physical parameters of this pulsar-powered nebula and W44 are used to derive three different measures of the pulsar's transverse velocity. A range of estimates between 315 and 470 km/s are derived, resultin…
The development of observational techniques has inriched our knowledge of supernova remnants. In this paper, we review the main progresses in the last decade, including new discoveries of supernova remnants and the associated (rare type of) pulsars, nucleosynthesis, the interaction between supernova remnants and molecular clouds, dust in the supernova remnants, shock physics, and cosmic ray accelerations.
We present archival data from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory that reveal a bright point source to the southeast of the center of the young supernova remnant G292.0+1.8 that is coincident with the peak of highest radio surface brightness. The mostly featureless spectrum of the point source at coordinates (J2000) RA = 11 24 39.2, DEC = -59 16 19.8 is well fit by a three-parameter absorbed model with one power-law and two blackbody components. We also argue that the neutron star is surrounded by a synchrotron wind nebula based off of the source's hard emission and high radio and X-ray luminosities…
Supernova remnants are usually analysed in the light of hydrodynamical models of the interaction of supernova ejecta with either a constant density ambient medium or a circumstellar medium produced by a constant presupernova wind. However, the ejection of energetic wind during the presupernova phase changes the ambient medium structure and, consequently, the early supernova remnant evolution. We have analysed the evolution of young remnants of type Ia supernovae, focusing on the imprint of the presupernova wind history on the supernova remnant structure and on the influence of the explosion me…
We present a numerical investigation of the development of Rayleigh-Taylor instability at the interface between an expanding Pulsar Wind Nebula and its surrounding Supernova Remnant. These systems have long been thought to be naturally subject to this kind of instability, given their expansion behavior and the density jump at the contact discontinuity. High resolution images of the Crab Nebula at optical frequencies show the presence of a complex network of line-emitting filaments protruding inside the synchrotron nebula. These structures are interpreted as the observational evidence that Rayl…
Young supernova remnants that contain pulsar wind nebulae provide diagnostics for both the inner part of the supernova and the interaction with the surrounding medium, providing an opportunity to relate these objects to supernova types. Among observed young nebulae, there is evidence for a range of supernova types, including Type IIP (Crab Nebula and SN 1054) and Type IIb/IIn/IIL (G292.0+1.8).
We have used archival ROSAT data to present X-ray images of thirty-one supernova remnants (SNRs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We have classified these remnants according to their X-ray morphologies, into the categories of Shell-Type, Diffuse Face, Centrally Brightened, Point-Source Dominated, and Irregular. We suggest possible causes of the X-ray emission for each category, and for individual features of some of the SNRs.
October 2004 marks the 400th anniversary of the sighting of SN 1604, now marked by the presence of an expanding nebulosity known as Kepler's supernova remnant. Of the small number of remnants of historical supernovae, Kepler's remnant remains the most enigmatic. The supernova type, and hence the type of star that exploded, is still a matter of debate, and even the distance to the remnant is uncertain by more than a factor of two. As new and improved multiwavength observations become available, and as the time baseline of observations gets longer, Kepler's supernova remnant is slowly revealing …
We present the results of three observations of shell-type supernova remnants observed by BeppoSAX. Two of the remnants (N132D and Cas A) are oxygen rich supernova remnants. They were observed during the PV phase. SN1006 was observed during A01. For SN1006 we present preliminary results on the abundance measurements based on the emission from the center of the remnant.
Based on a Chandra ACIS observation, we report the detection of an extended X-ray feature close to the center of the remnant DA 530 with 5.3 sigma above the background within a circle of 20'' radius. This feature, characterized by a power-law with the photon index gamma=1.6+-0.8 and spatially coinciding with a nonthermal radiosource, most likely represents a pulsar wind nebula. We have further examined the spectrum of the diffuse X-ray emission from the remnant interior with a background-subtracted count rate of ~0.06 counts s^-1 in 0.3-3.5 keV. The spectrum of the emission can be described by…
We present a model of a pulsar wind nebula evolving inside its associated supernova remnant. The model uses a hydrodynamics code to simulate the evolution of this system when the pulsar has a high velocity. The simulation distinguishes four different stages of pulsar wind nebula evolution: the supersonic expansion stage, the reverse shock interaction stage, the subsonic expansion stage and ultimately the bow shock stage. The simulation bears out that, due to the high velocity of the pulsar, the position of the pulsar is off-centered with respect to its pulsar wind nebula, after the passage of …
Shell-type Supernova remnants (SNRs) have long been known to harbour a population of ultra-relativistic particles, accelerated in the Supernova shock wave by the mechanism of diffusive shock acceleration. Experimental evidence for the existence of electrons up to energies of ~100 TeV was first provided by the detection of hard X-ray synchrotron emission as e.g. in the shell of the young SNR SN1006. Furthermore using theoretical arguments shell-type Supernova remnants have long been considered as the main accelerator of protons - Cosmic rays - in the Galaxy; definite proof of this process is ho…
We present spectra and high resolution images of the hard X-ray feature along the southern edge of the supernova remnant IC443. Data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory reveal a comet-shaped nebula of hard emission, which contains a softer point source at its apex. We also present 20cm, 6cm, and 3.5cm images from the Very Large Array that clearly show the cometary nebula. Based on the radio and X-ray morphology and spectrum, and the radio polarization properties, we argue that this object is a synchrotron nebula powered by the compact source that is physically associated with IC443. The spectru…
In this paper we discuss possible ultra high energy ($\ge$ TeV) neutrino emission from Supernova Remnants (SNRs), specifically the hadronic gamma ray production models. Recent very high energy (VHE) $γ$ ray observation from SNRs is the main motivation behind this study.
For pulsars similar to the one in the Crab Nebula, most of the energy input to the surrounding wind nebula occurs on a timescale of less than 1000 years; during this time, the nebula expands into freely expanding supernova ejecta. On a timescale 10,000 years, the interaction of the supernova with the surrounding medium drives a reverse shock front toward the center of the remnant, where it crushes the PWN (pulsar wind nebula). One- and two-dimensional, two-fluid simulations of the crushing and re-expansion phases of a PWN show that (1) these phases are subject to Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities …
The interaction between the ejecta from Supernova 1987A and surrounding material is producing steadily brightening radio and X-ray emission. The new-born supernova remnant has been significantly decelerated by this interaction, while its morphology reflects the axisymmetric nature of the progenitor wind.
I briefly summarize some facts and ideas concerning the presence of neutron stars in Supernova remnants. While sources similar to the Crab Nebula require the presence of a central energetic object, shell-type remnants such as Cas A are compatible with the presence of neutron stars releasing a weak relativistic wind.
Supernovae (SN) and supernova remnants (SNR) have key roles in galaxies, but their physical descriptions is still incomplete. Thus, it is of interest to study neutrino radiation to understand SN and SNR better. We will discuss: (1) The ~10 MeV thermal neutrinos that arise from core collapse SN, that were observed for SN1987A, and can be seen with several existing or planned experiments. (2) The 10-100 TeV neutrinos expected from galactic SNR (in particular from RX J1713.7-3946) targets of future underwater neutrino telescopes.
We propose that some of the unidentified Galactic plane (-10 degrees < b < 10 degrees) sources listed in the first EGRET catalog (Fichtel et al. 1994) are associated with nearby supernova remnants. The probability that the association of strong EGRET sources with supernova remnants is due to chance alignment is found to be < 1/2200. Three of the most convincing associations are radio-bright, nearby shell remnants and a fourth is associated with a plerion. We examine possible gamma-ray production mechanisms and conclude that pion production and decay from high-energy protons interacting with th…
The association between the Pencil nebula (RCW 37, NGC 2736), the Vela X-ray fragment D/D' and the recently discovered new X-ray supernova remnant (RX J0852.0-4622) in Vela is investigated. Recently published Chandra images of D/D' are compared with optical images of RCW 37 and confirm the close association of the two objects. New optical line profiles of RCW 37 from an extended slit position passing through this unusual optical nebula are presented. They reveal a partial velocity ellipse with expansion velocities of around 120 km/s. Various scenarios for the origin of the nebula are considere…
Pulsars, formed during supernova explosions, are known to be sources of relativistic magnetized winds whose interaction with the expanding supernova remnants (SNRs) gives rise to a pulsar wind nebula (PWN). We present spherically symmetric relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (RMHD) simulations of the interaction of a pulsar wind with the surrounding SNR, both in particle and magnetically dominated regimes. As shown by previous simulations, the evolution can be divided in three phases: free expansion, a transient phase characterized by the compression and reverberation of the reverse shock, and a…
The launch of Chandra and XMM-Newton has led to important new findings concerning the X-ray emission from supernova remnants. These findings are a result of the high spatial resolution with which imaging spectroscopy is now possible, but also some useful results have come out of the grating spectrometers of both X-ray observatories, despite the extended nature of supernova remnants. The findings discussed here are the evidence for slow equilibration of electron and ion temperatures near fast supernova remnant shocks, the magnetic field amplification near remnant shocks due to cosmic ray accele…
A review of the main issues in the field of particle acceleration in Supernova Remnants is provided in the context of future X-ray observations with Simbol-X. After a summary of the nonthermal acceleration mechanisms at work, I briefly review the observations of supernova remnants in hard X-rays and in gamma rays. Open issues are discussed in this framework.
We present infrared observations of 3C 58 with the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Using the IRAC camera, we have imaged the entire source resulting in clear detections of the nebula at 3.6 and 4.5 microns. The derived flux values are consistent with extrapolation of the X-ray spectrum to the infrared band, demonstrating that any cooling break in the synchrotron spectrum must occur near the soft X-ray band. We also detect the torus surrounding PSR J0205+6449, the 65 ms pulsar that powers 3C 58. The torus spectrum requires a break between the infrared and X-ray b…
After reviewing recent work on the dynamics of young supernova remnants (YSNRs) and discussing how YSNRs can be used as physics laboratories, I discuss several challenges: Where are the very young SNRs in the Galaxy? Can very young SNRs produce gamma ray bursts? The Connections Challenge: Can one infer the nature of the supernova and its progenitor star from observations of the YSNR?
This brief review of recent X-ray observations of young supernova remnants highlights results obtained by the Chandra and XMM Newton Observatories since their launch last year. Their impressive capabilities are illustrated by results for spectral imaging, and for spatially resolved spectroscopy that isolates emission from individual ejecta knots and from the forward shock. I also review X-ray dynamical studies of supernova remnants, which should undergo significant advances during this new era.
While supernova remnants (SNRs) have long been considered prime candidates as sources of cosmic rays, it is only recently that X-ray observations have identified several shell-type SNRs dominated by nonthermal emission, thus revealing shock-accelerated electrons with energies extending far beyond the typical thermal spectrum. Two of these SNRs have been detected as sources of VHE gamma-rays.In other remnants, discrepancies between the shock velocity and the electron temperature point to a strong cosmic ray component that has thrived at the expense of the thermal gas. Modeling of the radio, X-r…
We discuss a concept of off-centred cavity supernova explosion as applied to neutron star/supernova remnant associations and show how this concept could be used to preclude the anti-humane decapitating the Duck (G5.4-1.2 + G5.27-0.9) and dismembering the Swan (Cygnus Loop), as well as to search for a stellar remnant associated with the supernova remnant RCW86.
Radio images of supernova remnants in the framework of diffusion model are discussed. The distribution profiles of synchrotron radiation intensity for spherical injection source of relativistic electrons are reduced at different frequencies. An explanation of the observational data obtained on UTR-2, according to which the size of the supernova remnant at decametric waves is larger than the remnant size at high frequencies, is given.
The HI environment of the Crab Nebula is investigated using 2.75' and 9' resolution data from (respectively) the DRAO Synthesis, and Effelsberg 100 m, radio telescopes. No clear evidence for an interaction between the Crab and the surrounding HI is found; the Crab probably lies within the boundaries of a large scale, low-density void in the HI distribution. The presence of a wind-blown HI bubble near the Crab is confirmed, and it is suggested that the unidentified star which powers this bubble is responsible for the stellar wind material detected along the line of sight towards the Crab.
The results of the 2D modelling of Supernova remnant (SNR) RCW86 are given. Models of this remnant, which for the first time interpret the anisotropy of surface brightness as a result of the evolution of adiabatic SNR in the interstellar medium with a large-scale gradient of density, are considered. Estimations on the basic characteristics of RCW86 and the surrounding medium which follow from these models are found. It is shown that the observed surface brightness distribution of RCW86 may be obtaned in the both proposed up till now models with different initial assumptions: one about a Supern…
There are a half-dozen or so young supernova remnants in the Magellanic Clouds that display one or more of the following characteristics: high velocity (>1000 km/s) emission, enhanced metallicity, or a rapidly rotating pulsar. I summarize the current state of knowledge of these remnants and present some recent results mostly from the new X-ray astronomy satellites.
The young and energetic pulsar B1509-58 powers a bright X-ray synchrotron nebula, embedded in the unusual supernova remnant G320.4-1.2. We present observations of this system with the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which show a spectacularly complicated source. The nebula is dominated by a bright collimated feature which we interpret as a relativistic jet directed along the pulsar spin axis. Several compact knots can be seen in the immediate vicinity of the pulsar. While many of these features are similar to those seen around the Crab pulsar, the nebula surrounding PSR B1509-58 shows important dif…
We have obtained high resolution Ca II and Na I absorption line spectra toward 68 OB stars in the direction of the Vela Supernova Remnant. The stars lie at distances of 190 -- 2800 pc as determined by Hipparcos and spectroscopic parallax estimations. The presence of high velocity absorption attributable to the remnant along some of the sight lines constrains the remnant distance to 250+/-30 pc. This distance is consistent with several recent investigations that suggest that the canonical remnant distance of 500 pc is too large.
The successful theoretical supernova explosion models should be able to explain any features of the emission from supernovae at any evolutionary stage. We check several models from two different points of view. With the multi-frequency radiation hydro code STELLA we calculate gamma-ray, bolometric and broad-band UBVI light curves. Then we use the same models to calculate the emission from young supernova remnants. Here we present new plots for gamma-ray luminosity from several SN Ia models and recomputations of bolometric and UBVRI light curves of model 13C for SN 1993J.
We explore the relationship between the models for progenitor systems of Type Ia supernovae and the properties of the supernova remnants that evolve after the explosion. Most models for Type Ia progenitors in the single degenerate scenario predict substantial outflows during the presupernova evolution. Expanding on previous work, we estimate the imprint of these outflows on the structure of the circumstellar medium at the time of the supernova explosion, and the effect that this modified circumstellar medium has on the evolution of the ensuing supernova remnant. We compare our simulations with…
We have carried out a sensitive search for young pulsars associated with supernova remnants using the 76-m Lovell radio telescope at Jodrell Bank. The observations were made at 606 MHz using a system with a bandwidth of 8 MHz and a set noise temperature on cold sky of about 50 K. The survey targeted 33 remnants in the northern hemisphere and achieved a nominal sensitivity of ~1 mJy in most cases. Two pulsars were discovered in the course of this survey and the known pulsar PSR B1952+29 was detected. The new pulsars, J0215+6218 and J1957+2831, were found during searches of the supernova remnant…
We summarise the proceedings of the SRCfTA workshop on ``Supernova Remnants, Pulsars and the Interstellar Medium'' that was held at the University of Sydney on Mar 18 and 19, 1999.
We summarize the current observational evidence for associations between supernova remnants and neutron stars, including radio pulsars, proposed "inactive" young neutron stars, "anomalous" X-ray pulsars, and soft gamma-ray repeaters, and argue that the paradigm that all young neutron stars are Crab-like requires reconsideration.
The last ten years a number of observational advances have substantially increased our knowledge of shock phenomena in supernova remnants. This progress has mainly been made possible by the recent improvements in X-ray and Gamma-ray instrumentation. It has become clear that some shell-type supernova remnants, e.g. SN 1006, have X-ray emission dominated by synchrotron radiation, proving that electrons are accelerated up to 100 TeV. This is still an order of magnitude below 3E15 eV, at which energy the ion cosmic ray spectrum at earth shows a spectral break. So one of the major goals is to prove…
We briefly summarize the survey of HI 21 cm emission lines to search for shocked atomic gas associated with Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) in the southern sky. For G347.3-0.5, we discuss the distance to the SNR and the implications of the HI results.
Anisotropic thermal conduction plays an important role in various astrophysical systems. One of the most stringent tests of thermal conduction can be found in supernova remnants. In this paper we study anisotropic thermal conduction and examine the physical nature of the flux of thermal conduction in the classical and saturated limits. We also present a temporally second-order accurate implicit-explicit scheme for the time-update of thermal conduction terms within a numerical MHD scheme. Several simulations of supernova remnants are presented for a range of ISM parameters. The role of thermal …
We propose to use the thermal X-ray emission from young supernova remnants (SNRs) originated in Type Ia supernovae (SNe) to extract relevant information concerning the explosion mechanism. We focus on the differences between numerical 1D and 3D explosion calculations, and the impact that these differences could have on young SNRs. We use the remnant of the Tycho supernova (SN 1572) as a test case to compare with our predictions, discussing the observational features that allow to accept or discard a given model.
The evidence for associations between neutron stars and supernova remnants is reviewed. After summarizing the situation for young radio pulsars, I consider the evidence from associations that young neutron stars can have properties very different from those of radio pulsars. This, though still controversial, shakes our simple perception of the Crab pulsar as prototypical of the young neutron star population.
We report the results of the XMM-Newton observation of the Pulsar Wind Nebula (PWN) in the composite supernova remnant G0.9+0.1 located in the Galactic Center region. Thanks to the sensitivity of the EPIC cameras, we focus on the first spectral analysis of large and small-scale structures of this PWN using MOS and PN data in combination. Our spatially resolved spectral analysis at large-scale offers a clear indication of a softening of the photon index with distance from the centroid of the nebula (from Gamma_{core}=1.12^{+0.45}_{-0.48} to Gamma=2.42^{+0.19}_{-0.19}), as observed in other know…
We have made VLA images of the fields around three young pulsars which have resulted in the discovery of two new supernova remnants and confirmation of a third. We argue that, in at least two cases and perhaps the third, the pulsars are physically associated with these supernova remnants. A review of all known young pulsars shows that the majority are associated with supernova remnants. We show that the typical density of the interstellar medium into which the supernova remnants are evolving has a density of 0.2 cm$^{-3}$ instead of the low value of 0.01 cm$^{-3}$ which had been calculated fro…
This paper reviews recent advances in the study or circumstellar masers and masers found toward supernova remnants. The review is organized by science focus area, including the astrophysics of extended stellar atmospheres, stellar mass-loss processes and outflows, late-type evolved stellar evolution, stellar maser excitation and chemistry, and the use of stellar masers as independent distance estimators. Masers toward supernova remnants are covered separately. Recent advances and open future questions in this field are explored.
This paper presents archival ROSAT PSPC observations of the G65.2+5.7 supernova remnant (also known as G65.3+5.7). Little material obscures this remnant and so it was well observed, even at the softest end of ROSAT's bandpass (~0.11 to 0.28 keV). These soft X-ray images reveal the remnant's centrally-filled morphology which, in combination with existing radio frequency observations, places G65.2+5.7 in the thermal composite (mixed morphology) class of supernova remnants. Not only might G65.2+5.7 be the oldest known thermal composite supernova remnant, but owing to its optically revealed cool, …
We present a review of the first six years of Chandra X-ray Observatory observations of supernova remnants. From the official "first-light" observation of Cassiopeia A that revealed for the first time the compact remnant of the explosion, to the recent million-second spectrally-resolved observation that revealed new details of the stellar composition and dynamics of the original explosion, Chandra observations have provided new insights into the supernova phenomenon. We present an admittedly biased overview of six years of these observations, highlighting new discoveries made possible by Chand…
I present a review of X-ray observations of supernova remnants with an emphasis on shell-type remnants. The topics discussed are the observation of fresh nucleosynthesis products, shock heating and cosmic ray acceleration.
