The evolution of the supernova remnant IC 443

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6700222

Mccollough, M L

The evolution and appearance of a supernova remnant (SNR) can be greatly affected by the nature and makeup of the interstellar medium (ISM) into which the SNR is evolving. The effect of multiphase nature of the ISM on the evolution and appearance of a SNR is examined. Multiwavelength observations consisting of high resolution images made in the radio, infrared, optical, and x ray were obtained of the SNC IC 443. From these images and previous research done on IC 443, analytic and numerical hydrodynamics models have allowed assessment of various parameters. The x ray data indicate the age (t is approximately 5000 years), initial energy (is approximately (3-7) x 10(exp 50) ergs), and current density (1-2/cu cm) of the shocked intercloud gas. The radio and optical observations indicate that small scale radio/optical structure is due to isothermal shocks moving through dense clouds. The bulk of the radio emissions arises in large scale structure from the intercloud gas. The IR indicates that dust and line emission are important in the cooling of the remnant. It was found that IC 443 is evolving in a very complex region of the ISM. The intercloud medium into which the SNR is expanding is typical of a H II region containing low and high density clouds. There appears to be a factor of 2 variation in the average ambient density across the remnant. Across the front and along the east of the remnant a collision with a molecular cloud is occurring. Emission from the shock heated dust and the IR lines serves as the major source of energy loss in the remnant. Much of IC 443s appearance may be the result of the prior interaction of the supernova progenitor with the molecular cloud. It is apparent that the appearance and evolution of IC 443 is being shaped by the environment into which IC 443 is expanding.

• Research Organization: Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6700222
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CLOUDS
COSMIC DUST
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
DATA
DUSTS
ENERGY LOSSES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUID MECHANICS
H2 REGIONS
HYDRODYNAMICS
INFORMATION
INFRARED SPECTRA
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
LOSSES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
NUMERICAL DATA
SPACE
SPECTRA
STAR EVOLUTION
SUPERNOVA REMNANTS