X-ray and radio images of four supernova remnants with three distinct x-ray signatures

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5266324

Matsui, Y

New radio images of Kepler's supernova remnant (SNR) and new x-ray images of the three SNRs - PKS1209-52, W28, and 3C400.2 - were studied. Although all of them are shell-like SNRs at radio wavelengths, there are three distinct x-ray signatures among them. New high resolution radio images of Kepler's SNR reveal shell structure which is very similar to that of the x-ray image. Linear polarization mapping at 6 cm shows the existence of a radial component in the magnetic field. There is a correlation between rotation measure and x-ray surface brightness, which makes it possible to estimate a total magnetic field of 7 x 10/sup -5/ gauss and an energy density of relativistic electrons approx. 6 x 10/sup -10/ ergs cm/sup -3/ in the shell. The correlation between radio emissivity and x-ray emissivity can be ascribed to acceleration of thermal electrons to relativistic energies at the shock front. The X-ray image of PKS1209-52 reveals fragmented shell structure which resembles the radio image. There is, however, a compact X-ray source near its center. The age of PKS1209-52 is in the range 10,000-23,000 years depending on the nature of the ambient medium. The SNRs W28 and 3C400.2 have centrally-peaked x-ray emission despite their radioshell morphologies. Comparisons of their x-ray and radio properties with known crab-like SNRs suggest that the synchrotron radiation process is not a very plausible x-ray production mechanism.

• Research Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5266324
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640103* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Quasi-Stellar
Radio
& X-Ray Sources-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
BRIGHTNESS
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SPECTRA
SUPERNOVA REMNANTS
SURFACES
X-RAY SPECTRA