Hard X-ray emission and {sup 44}Ti line features of the Tycho supernova remnant
- National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100012 (China)
- Department of Astronomy and Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)
A deep hard X-ray survey of the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) satellite has detected for the first time non-thermal emission up to 90 keV in the Tycho supernova (SN) remnant. Its 3-100 keV spectrum is fitted with a thermal bremsstrahlung of kT ∼ 0.81 ± 0.45 keV plus a power-law model of Γ ∼ 3.01 ± 0.16. Based on diffusive shock acceleration theory, this non-thermal emission, together with radio measurements, implies that the Tycho remnant may not accelerate protons up to >PeV but to hundreds TeV. Only heavier nuclei may be accelerated to the cosmic ray spectral 'knee'. In addition, using INTEGRAL, we search for soft gamma-ray lines at 67.9 and 78.4 keV that come from the decay of radioactive {sup 44}Ti in the Tycho remnant. A bump feature in the 60-90 keV energy band, potentially associated with the {sup 44}Ti line emission, is found with a marginal significance level of ∼2.6σ. The corresponding 3σ upper limit on the {sup 44}Ti line flux amounts to 1.5 × 10{sup –5} photon cm{sup –2} s{sup –1}. Implications on the progenitor of the Tycho SN, considered to be a Type Ia SN prototype, are discussed.
- OSTI ID:
- 22365701
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 789, 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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