Context: Observation of Balmer lines from the region around the forward shock of supernova remnants may provide precious information on the shock dynamics and on the efficiency of particle acceleration at the shock.
Aims: We calculate the Balmer line emission and the shape of the broad Balmer line for parameter values suitable for SNR 0509-67.5, as a function of the cosmic ray acceleration efficiency and of the level of thermal equilibration between electrons and protons behind the shock. This calculation aims at using the width of the broad Balmer line emission to infer the cosmic ray acceleration efficiency in this remnant.
Methods: We use the recently developed non-linear theory of diffusive shock acceleration in the presence of neutrals. The semi-analytical approach that we developed includes a description of magnetic field amplification as due to resonant streaming instability, the dynamical reaction of both accelerated particles and turbulent magnetic field on the shock, and all channels of interaction between neutral atoms and background plasma that change the shock dynamics.
Results: We achieve a quantitative assessment of the CR acceleration efficiency in SNR 0509-67.5 as a function of the shock velocity and different levels of electron-proton thermalization in the shock region. If the shock moves faster than ~4500 km/s, one can conclude that particle acceleration must be taking place with efficiency of several tens of percent. For lower shock velocity the evidence for particle acceleration becomes less clear because of the uncertainty in the electron-ion equilibration downstream. We also discuss the role of future measurements of the narrow Balmer line.
We present results from an optical study of two young Balmer-dominated remnants of SNIa in the Large Magellanic Cloud, 0509$-$67.5 and 0519$-$69.0, in an attempt to search for signatures of efficient cosmic-ray (CR) acceleration. We combine proper motion measurements from HST with corresponding optical spectroscopic measurements of the H$α$ line at multiple rim positions from VLT/FORS2 and SALT/RSS and compare our results to published Balmer shock models. Analysis of the optical spectra result in broad H$α$ widths in the range of 1800-4000 km s$^{-1}$ for twelve separate Balmer-dominated filam…
We consider diffusive shock acceleration in supernova remnants throughout their evolution including a radiative stage. It is found that a more efficient acceleration and fast exit of particles at the radiative stage results in the hardening of the source cosmic ray proton and electron spectra at energies $\sim 100-500$ GeV. The effect is stronger for cosmic ray electrons.
Helium emission from Balmer-dominated shocks in Type Ia supernova remnants provides constraints to their progenitor systems
The University of New South Wales（新南威尔士大学）；Australian National University（澳大利亚国立大学）；Towson University（陶森大学）；Naval Research Laboratory（海军研究实验室）；Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin（都柏林三一学院，都柏林大学）
Balmer-dominated shells in supernova remnants (SNRs) are produced by collisionless shocks advancing into a partially neutral medium, and are most frequently associated with Type Ia supernovae. We have analyzed Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images and VLT/MUSE or AAT/WiFeS observations of five Type Ia SNRs containing Balmer-dominated shells in the LMC: 0509-67.5, 0519-69.0, N103B, DEM L71, and 0548-70.4. Contrary to expectations, we find bright forbidden line emission from small dense knots embedded in four of these SNRs. The electron densities in some knots are higher than 10$^4$ cm$^{-3}$. The…
Over the past decade, $γ$-ray observations of supernova remnants (SNRs) and accurate cosmic-ray (CR) spectral measurements have significantly advanced our understanding of particle acceleration in SNRs. In combination with multiwavelength observations of a large sample of SNRs, it has been proposed that the highest energy particles are mostly accelerated in young remnants, and the maximum energy that middle-age and old SNRs can accelerate particles to decreases rapidly with the decrease in shock speed. If SNRs dominate the CR flux observed at Earth, a large number of particles need to be accel…
We analyze the GeV gamma-ray emission data from the vicinity of the supernova remnant (SNR) HB9 (G160.9+2.6) from the \textit{Fermi}-LAT 12-year observations to quantify the evolution of diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) in the SNR. In the vicinity of HB9, there are molecular clouds whose locations do not coincide with the SNR shell in the line of sight. We detect significant gamma-ray emissions above 1~GeV spatially coinciding with the two prominent cloud regions, as well as a emission from the SNR shell, the latter of which is consistent with the results of previous studies. The energy spec…
Estimating the cosmic-ray acceleration efficiency $ ε$ in supernova remnants (SNRs) through observations is a challenging task in general. Based on the Rankine-Hugoniot shock conditions, we find an anticorrelation between $ ε$ and the power-law spectral index $ α$ of relativistic particle distribution produced via diffusive particle acceleration by nonrelativistic shocks, implying more efficient acceleration in older SNRs with harder radio spectra. Then $ ε$ may be estimated from some hard radio spectral index measurements. Assuming the particle distribution in downstream of strong shocks to b…
Cutoff energy in a synchrotron radiation spectrum of a supernova remnant (SNR) contains a key parameter of ongoing particle acceleration. We systematically analyze 11 young SNRs, including all historical SNRs, to measure the cutoff energy, thus shedding light on the nature of particle acceleration at the early stage of SNR evolution. The nonthermal (synchrotron) dominated spectra in filament-like outer rims are selectively extracted and used for spectral fitting because our model assumes that accelerated electrons are concentrated in the vicinity of the shock front due to synchrotron cooling. …
Synchrotron X-ray emission in young supernova remnants (SNRs) is a powerful diagnostic tool to study the population of high energy electrons accelerated at the shock front and the acceleration process. We performed a spatially resolved spectral analysis of NuSTAR and XMM-Newton observations of the young Kepler's SNR, aiming to study in detail its non-thermal emission in hard X-rays. We selected a set of regions all around the rim of the shell and extracted the corresponding spectra. The spectra were analyzed by adopting a model of synchrotron radiation in the loss-limited regime, to constrain …
Molecular Clouds as a Probe of Cosmic-Ray Acceleration in a Supernova Remnant
我们研究了超新星遗迹（SNR）中的宇宙射线加速及其逃逸。我们模拟了疏散星团Westerlund 2中隐藏的SNR和老年混合形态SNR W 28的非热粒子和光子谱。我们假设SNR冲击波在低密度空腔中传播，该空腔是通过祖星和/或以前的超新星爆炸的活动产生和加热的。我们指出，宇宙射线的扩散系数周围的SNR是小于1%的远离他们。我们将我们的预测与宇宙射线（费米和H.E.S.S.）照射的分子云的伽马射线谱进行比较。我们发现粒子的光谱指数约为2.3。这可能是因为粒子在Sedov阶段结束时被加速，并且因为粒子的能量依赖性逃逸和传播对光谱没有太大影响。
We present a model for the radio evolution of supernova remnants (SNRs) obtained by using three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic simulations, coupled with nonlinear kinetic theory of cosmic ray (CR) acceleration in SNRs. We model the radio evolution of SNRs on a global level, by performing simulations for wide range of the relevant physical parameters, such as the ambient density, the supernova (SN) explosion energy, the acceleration efficiency and the magnetic field amplification (MFA) efficiency. We attribute the observed spread of radio surface brightnesses for corresponding SNR diameters to t…
Radiative transfer in hydrogen lines in supernova remnant (SNR) shock waves is studied taking into account the population of the hydrogen atom 2s-state. Measurements of Balmer line emission, especially of H~$α$, are often relied upon to derive physical conditions in the SNR shock. On the other hand, Lyman series photons, especially Ly~$β$, are mostly absorbed by upstream hydrogen atoms. As a result, atoms are excited to the 3p state, and then emit H~$α$ by the spontaneous transition from 3p to 2s. Thus, the nature of H~$α$ depends on how many Ly~$β$ photons are converted to H~$α$ photons. More…
The existence of a "knee" at energy ~1 PeV in the cosmic-ray spectrum suggests the presence of Galactic PeV proton accelerators called "PeVatrons". Supernova Remnant (SNR) G106.3+2.7 is a prime candidate for one of these. The recent detection of very high energy (0.1-100 TeV) gamma rays from G106.3+2.7 may be explained either by the decay of neutral pions or inverse Compton scattering by relativistic electrons. We report an analysis of 12 years of Fermi-LAT gamma-ray data which shows that the GeV-TeV gamma-ray spectrum is much harder and requires a different total electron energy than the radi…
The connection between supernova remnants and the Galactic magnetic field: An analysis of quasi-parallel and quasi-perpendicular cosmic ray acceleration for the axisymmetric sample
In our model, the acceleration and propagation of particles from the Bohm-like diffusion region inside the SNR to the Galactic diffusion region outside the SNR are described through nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration (NLDSA). The main content of our NLDSA model is to solve the hydrodynamic equations numerically for gas density, gas velocity, gas pressure as well as the equation for the quasi-isotropic particle momentum distribution. The consequent multi-band non-thermal emission is from two different regions, namely the acceleration region and the escaping region. Our model is capable of e…
Galactic cosmic rays (CRs) are accelerated at the forward shocks of supernova remnants (SNRs) via diffusive shock acceleration (DSA), an efficient acceleration mechanism that predicts power-law energy distributions of CRs. However, observations of nonthermal SNR emission imply CR energy distributions that are generally steeper than $E^{-2}$, the standard DSA prediction. Recent results from kinetic hybrid simulations suggest that such steep spectra may arise from the drift of magnetic structures with respect to the thermal plasma downstream of the shock. Using a semi-analytic model of non-linea…
According to the most popular model for the origin of cosmic rays (CRs), supernova remnants (SNRs) are the site where CRs are accelerated. Observations across the electromagnetic spectrum support this picture through the detection of non-thermal emission that is compatible with being synchrotron or inverse Compton radiation from high energy electrons, or pion decay due to proton-proton interactions. These observations of growing quantity and quality promise to unveil many aspects of CRs acceleration and require more and more accurate tools for their interpretation. Here, we show how multi-dime…
Supernova Remnants and Pulsar Wind Nebulae are among the most significant sources of non-thermal X-rays in the sky, and the closest laboratories where relativistic plasma dynamics and particle acceleration can be investigated. Being strong synchrotron emitters, they are ideal candidates for X-ray polarimetry, and indeed the Crab nebula is up to present the only object where X-ray polarization has been detected with a high level of significance. Future polarimetric measures will likely provide us crucial informations on the level of turbulence that is expected at the particle acceleration sites…
Precise measurements of galactic cosmic rays revealed a significant difference between the rigidity spectral indices of protons and helium ions. This finding is a notable contrast to the commonly accepted theoretical prediction that supernova remnant (SNR) shocks accelerate protons and helium ions with the same rigidity alike. Most of the earlier explanations for the "paradox" appealed to SNR environmental factors, such as inhomogeneous $p$/He mixes in the shock upstream medium, variable ionization states of He, or a multi-SNR origin of the observed spectra. The newest observations, however, a…
Supernova remnants (SNRs) have long been considered as one of the most promising sources of Galactic cosmic rays. In the SNR paradigm, petaelectronvolt (PeV) proton acceleration may only be feasible at the early evolution stage, lasting a few hundred years, when the SNR shock speed is high. While evidence supporting the acceleration of PeV protons in young SNRs has yet to be discovered, X-ray synchrotron emission is an important indicator of fast shock. We here report the first discovery of X-ray synchrotron emission from the possibly middle-aged SNR G106.3+2.7, implying that this SNR is still…
