A DETAILED STUDY OF NON-THERMAL X-RAY PROPERTIES AND INTERSTELLAR GAS TOWARD THE γ-RAY SUPERNOVA REMNANT RX J1713.7–3946
- Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan)
- Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan)
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka 181-8588 (Japan)
- Department of Physics and Mathematics, Aoyama Gakuin University, Fuchinobe, Chuou-ku, Sagamihara 252-5258 (Japan)
- Department of Astrophysics, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai 599-8531 (Japan)
We have carried out a spectral analysis of the Suzaku X-ray data in the 0.4-12 keV range toward the shell-type very high-energy γ-ray supernova remnant (SNR) RX J1713.7–3946. The aims of this analysis are to estimate detailed X-rays spectral properties at a high angular resolution up to 2 arcmin and to compare them with the interstellar gas. The X-ray spectrum is non-thermal and used to calculate absorbing column density, photon index, and absorption-corrected X-ray flux. The photon index varies significantly from 2.1 to 2.9. It is shown that the X-ray intensity is well correlated with the photon index, especially in the west region, with a correlation coefficient of 0.81. The X-ray intensity tends to increase with the averaged interstellar gas density while the dispersion is relatively large. The hardest spectra, with photon indexes of less than 2.4, are found outside of the central 10 arcmin of the SNR, from the north to the southeast (∼430 arcmin{sup 2}) and from the southwest to the northwest (∼150 arcmin{sup 2}). The former region shows low interstellar gas density, while the latter shows high interstellar gas density. We present a discussion of possible scenarios that explain the distribution of the photon index and its relationship with the interstellar gas.
- OSTI ID:
- 22364336
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 799, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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