MULTI-FREQUENCY OBSERVATIONS OF A SUPERBUBBLE IN THE LMC: THE CASE OF LHA 120-N 70

Abstract

We present a detailed study of new Australia Telescope Compact Array and XMM-Newton observations of LHA 120–N 70 (hereafter N 70), a spherically shaped object in the Large Magellanic Cloud, classified as a superbubble. Both archival and new observations were used to produce high quality radio continuum, X-ray, and optical images. The radio spectral index of N 70 is estimated to be α = −0.12 ± 0.06, indicating that while a supernova (SN) or supernovae have occurred in the region at some time in the distant past, N 70 is not the remnant of a single specific SN. N 70 exhibits limited polarization with a maximum fractional polarization of 9% in a small area of the northwest limb. We estimate the size of N 70 to have a diameter of 104 pc (±1 pc). The morphology of N 70 in X-rays closely follows that in radio and optical, with most X-ray emission confined within the bright shell seen at longer wavelengths. Purely thermal models adequately fit the soft X-ray spectrum which lacks harder emission (above 1 keV). We also examine the pressure output of N 70 where the values for the hot (PX) and warm () phases are consistent with other studied H ii regions. However, the dust-processed radiation pressure (PIR) is significantly smaller than in any other object studied in Lopez et al. N 70 is a very complex region that is likely to have had multiple factors contributing to both the origin and evolution of the entire region.