Optical supernova remnant observations from Skinakas Observatory

Abstract

High energy studies of supernova remnants provide direct insight into major properties of these objects. Morphological and spectral studies of remnants in X-rays allow us to estimate parameters like the age of the remnant, the explosion energy and the ambient interstellar density. Optical studies of supernova remnants focus on the interaction of the primary blast wave with dense “clouds” found in the interstellar medium. Optical observations of individual remnants performed at Skinakas Observatory in Crete, Greece consist of flux calibrated wide field CCD images taken with the 0.3 m telescope and absolute flux calibrated long-slit spectra obtained with the 1.3 m telescope. The site conditions and the unique capabilities of a small telescope equipped with a CCD camera allowed us to perform high quality deep observations leading to the discovery of optical emission from several remnants for the first time. We present results on the known supernova remnants G73.9+0.9, G82.2+5.3 as well as current results on previously unknown filamentary structures. Typical densities of the interstellar “clouds” are of the order of a few atoms per cm 3, and the shock velocities are found in the range of 90–140 km s −1. The optical spectra further suggest the presence of moderate magnetic fields.