Integral Field Spectroscopy of Balmer-dominated Shocks in the Magellanic Cloud Supernova Remnant N103B

Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 2017 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/AA83B8· OSTI ID:22679798

Ghavamian, Parviz ^[1]; Seitenzahl, Ivo R.; Dopita, M. A. ^[2]; Vogt, Frédéric P. A. ^[3]; Terry, Jason P. ^[4]; Williams, Brian J. ^[5]

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1. Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252 (United States)
2. Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2611 (Australia)
3. European Southern Observatory, Av. Alonso de Córdova 3107, 763 0355 Vitacura, Santiago (Chile)
4. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Georgia (United States)
5. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

We present results of integral field spectroscopy of Balmer-dominated shocks in the LMC supernova remnant (SNR) N103B, carried out using the Wide Field Integral Spectrograph (WiFeS ) on the 2.3 m telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia. Existing X-ray studies of N103B have indicated an SN Ia origin. Radiative shock emission from clumpy material surrounding the SNR may result from interaction of the forward shock with relic stellar wind material, possibly implicating a thermonuclear explosion in a single-degenerate binary system. The recently discovered Balmer-dominated shocks mark the impact of the forward shock with low density, partially neutral CSM gas, and form a partial shell encircling clumps of material exhibiting radiative shocks. The WiFeS spectra of N103B reveal broad H α emission having a width as high as 2350 km s{sup −1} along the northern rim, and both H α and H β broad profiles having widths around 1300 km s{sup −1} along the southern rim. Fits to the H α line profiles indicate that in addition to the usual broad and narrow emission components, a third component of intermediate width exists in these Balmer-dominated shocks, ranging from around 125 km s{sup −1} up to 225 km s{sup −1} in width. This is consistent with predictions of recent Balmer-dominated shock models, which predict that an intermediate-width component will be generated in a fast neutral precursor. We derive a Sedov age of approximately 685 ± 20 years for N103B from the Balmer-dominated spectra, consistent with the young age of 380–860 years estimated from light echo studies.

• OSTI ID: 22679798
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 847; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
APPROXIMATIONS
BALMER LINES
DENSITY
EMISSION
INTERACTIONS
MAGELLANIC CLOUDS
PLASMA
PRECURSOR
RESONANCE IONIZATION MASS SPECTROSCOPY
SHOCK WAVES
SPECTRA
STELLAR WINDS
SUPERNOVA REMNANTS
TELESCOPES
THERMONUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
VISIBLE RADIATION