Type Ia Supernova Remnants Research Articles

Comparing the three-dimensional morphological asymmetries in the ejecta of Kepler and Tycho in X-rays

Aims. Recent simulations have shown that asymmetries in the ejecta distribution of supernova remnants (SNRs) may be a reflection of asymmetries left over from the initial supernova explosion. Thus, SNR studies provide a vital means for testing and constraining model predictions in relation to the distribution of heavy elements, which are key to improving our understanding of the explosion mechanisms in Type Ia supernovae. Methods. The use of a novel blind source separation method applied to the megasecond X-ray observations of the historic Kepler and Tycho supernova remnants has revealed maps of the ejecta distribution. These maps are endowed with an unprecedented level of detail and clear separations from the continuum emission. Our method also provides a three-dimensional (3D) view of the ejecta by individually disentangling red- and blueshifted spectral components associated with images of the Si, S, Ar, Ca, and Fe emission. This approach provides insights into the morphology of the ejecta distribution in those two remnants. Results. Those mappings have allowed us to thoroughly investigate the asymmetries in the intermediate-mass elements and Fe distribution in two Type Ia supernova remnants. We also compared the results with the core-collapse Cassiopeia A remnant, which we had studied previously. The images obtained confirm, as expected for Type Ia SNRs, that the Fe distribution is mostly closer to the core than that of intermediate-mass elements. They also highlight peculiar features in the ejecta distribution, such as the Fe-rich southeastern knot in Tycho.

Hydrodynamical simulations favour a pure deflagration origin of the near-chandrasekhar mass supernova remnant 3C 397

ABSTRACT Suzaku X-ray observations of the Type Ia supernova remnant (SNR) 3C 397 discovered exceptionally high mass ratios of Mn/Fe, Ni/Fe, and Cr/Fe, consistent with a near MCh progenitor white dwarf (WD). The Suzaku observations have established 3C 397 as our best candidate for a near-MCh SNR Ia, and opened the way to address additional outstanding questions about the origin and explosion mechanism of these transients. In particular, subsequent XMM–Newton observations revealed an unusually clumpy distribution of iron group elemental (IGE) abundances within the ejecta of 3C 397. In this paper, we undertake a suite of two-dimensional hydrodynamical models, varying both the explosion mechanism – either deflagration-to-detonation (DDT), or pure deflagration – WD progenitors, and WD progenitor metallicity, and analyse their detailed nucleosynthetic abundances and associated clumping. We find that pure deflagrations naturally give rise to clumpy distributions of neutronized species concentrated towards the outer limb of the remnant and confirm DDTs have smoothly structured ejecta with a central concentration of neutronization. Our findings indicate that 3C 397 was most likely a pure deflagration of a high central density WD. We discuss a range of implications of these findings for the broader SN Ia progenitor problem.

Feedback of Efficient Shock Acceleration on Magnetic-field Structure Inside Young Type Ia Supernova Remnants

Using an effective adiabatic index γ eff to mimic the feedback of efficient shock acceleration, we simulate the temporal evolution of a young type Ia supernova remnant (SNR) with two different background magnetic field (BMF) topologies: a uniform and a turbulent BMF. The density distribution and magnetic-field characteristics of our benchmark SNR are studied with two-dimensional cylindrical magnetohydrodynamic simulations. When γ eff is considered, we find that: (1) the two-shock structure shrinks and the downstream magnetic-field orientation is dominated by the Rayleigh–Taylor instability structures; (2) there exists more quasi-radial magnetic fields inside the shocked region; and (3) inside the intershock region, both the quasi-radial magnetic energy density and the total magnetic energy density are enhanced: in the radial direction, with γ eff = 1.1, they are amplified about 10–26 times more than those with γ eff = 5/3. While in the angular direction, the total magnetic energy densities could be amplified about 350 times more than those with γ eff = 5/3, and there are more grid cells within the intershock region where the magnetic energy density is amplified by a factor greater than 100.

On the Interpretation of XSPEC Abundances and Emission Measures

The purpose of this work is to describe the assumptions built into the X-ray spectrum fitting software XSPEC for the calculation of element abundances and emission measure of a plasma and to describe the effects when those assumptions are not accurate. The ratio of electron density to hydrogen density in XSPEC is fixed at a constant. The correct ratio can be calculated from the ionization states of the elements. We show the constant value used in XSPEC is valid to within ≃3.5% for a solar-abundance plasma. For a plasma that deviates from solar abundance, e.g., hydrogen-poor or heavy-element-rich plasmas such as those found in the ejecta of supernova remnants, this ratio can be smaller by factors of 0.1–0.001. The hydrogen emission measure, defined by integral of electron density times hydrogen density over plasma volume, is derived from the norm in XSPEC, but one needs to include the hydrogen abundance factor. For other elements, the emission measures are the XSPEC values multiplied by the element abundance factors. Using the correct electron-to-hydrogen ratio and emission measures, we show the correct electron density is smaller by the square root of the correct electron density ratio divided by the XSPEC value. Element densities and total masses (for given distance and volume) are larger by the abundance factors divided by the above square root. Because hydrogen-poor plasmas occur in the ejecta of Type Ia supernova remnants, previously estimated element masses from X-ray spectra are likely to be significantly underestimated.

Do Type Ia Supernovae Explode inside Planetary Nebulae?

The nature of Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) explosions remains an open issue, with several contending progenitor scenarios actively being considered. One such scenario involves an SN Ia explosion inside a planetary nebula (PN) in the aftermath of a stellar merger triggered by a common envelope (CE) episode. We examine this scenario using hydrodynamic and nonequilibrium ionization simulations of the interaction between the SN ejecta and the PN cocoon into the supernova remnant (SNR) phase, focusing on the impact of the delay between the CE episode and the SN explosion. We compare the bulk dynamics and X-ray spectra of our simulated SNRs to the observed properties of known Type Ia SNRs in the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds. We conclude that models where the SN explosion happens in the immediate aftermath of the CE episode (with a delay ≲1000 yr) are hard to reconcile with the observations, because the interaction with the dense PN cocoon results in ionization timescales much higher than those found in any known Type Ia SNR. Models with a longer delay between the CE episode and the SN explosion (∼10,000 yr) are closer to the observations, and may be able to explain the bulk properties of some Type Ia SNRs.

Three-dimensional Velocity Diagnostics to Constrain the Type Ia Origin of Tycho's Supernova Remnant

While various methods have been proposed to disentangle the progenitor system for Type Ia supernovae, their origin is still unclear. A circumstellar environment is key to distinguishing between the double-degenerate and single-degenerate (SD) scenarios since a dense wind cavity is expected only in the case of the SD system. We perform spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy of Tycho’s supernova remnant (SNR) with XMM-Newton and reveal the three-dimensional velocity structure of the expanding shock-heated ejecta measured from Doppler-broadened lines of intermediate-mass elements. Obtained velocity profiles are fairly consistent with those expected from a uniformly expanding ejecta model near the center, whereas we discover a rapid deceleration (∼4000 to ∼1000 km s−1) near the edge of the remnant in almost every direction. The result strongly supports the presence of a dense wall entirely surrounding the remnant, which is confirmed also by our hydrodynamical simulation. We thus conclude that Tycho’s SNR is likely of SD origin. Our new method will be useful for understanding progenitor systems of Type Ia SNRs in the era of high-angular/energy-resolution X-ray astronomy with microcalorimeters.

Exploring the Circumstellar Environment of Tycho’s Supernova Remnant. I. The Hydrodynamic Evolution of the Shock

Among Type Ia supernova remnants (SNRs), Tycho’s SNR has been considered as a typical object from the viewpoints of its spectroscopic, morphological, and environmental properties. A recent reanalysis of Chandra data showed that its forward shock is experiencing a substantial deceleration since around 2007, which suggests recent shock interactions with a dense medium as a consequence of a cavity-wall environment inside a molecular cloud. Such a nonuniform environment can be linked back to the nature and activities of its progenitor. In this study, we perform hydrodynamic simulations to characterize Tycho’s cavity-wall environment using the latest multiepoch proper motion measurements of the forward shock. A range of parameters for the environment is explored in the hydrodynamic models to fit with the observational data for each azimuthal region. Our results show that a wind-like cavity with ρ(r) ∝ r −2 reconciles with the latest data better than a uniform medium with a constant density. In addition, our best-fit model favors an anisotropic wind with an azimuthally varying wind parameter. The overall result indicates a mass-loss rate which is unusually high for the conventional single-degenerate explosion scenario.

Point-symmetry in SNR G1.9+0.3: A Supernova that Destroyed its Planetary Nebula Progenitor

I analyze a new X-ray image of the youngest supernova remnant (SNR) in the Galaxy, which is the type Ia SNR G1.9+0.3, and reveal a very clear point-symmetrical structure. Since explosion models of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) do not form such morphologies, the point-symmetrical morphology must come from the circumstellar material (CSM) into which the ejecta expands. The large-scale point-symmetry that I identify and the known substantial deceleration of the ejecta of SNR G1.9+0.3 suggest a relatively massive CSM of ≳1M ⊙. I argue that the most likely explanation is the explosion of this SN Ia into a planetary nebula. The scenario that predicts a large fraction of SN Ia inside PNe (SNIPs) is the core degenerate scenario. Other SN Ia scenarios might lead to only a very small fraction of SNIPs or none at all.

Spectral analysis of the Galactic supernova remnant Kesteven 69 with Suzaku

Abstract The results of a Suzaku observation of the supernova remnant (SNR) Kesteven 69 = G21.8−0.6 are presented. To estimate the sky background precisely, we conducted a simultaneous fit of the source region spectrum with the background region spectrum and found that the SNR spectrum is well represented by a two-component ionizing plasma model composed of a low-temperature plasma at kTe = 0.80 ± 0.11 keV and a high-temperature plasma at kTe = 1.5 ± 0.4 keV. The existence of a low-ionized Fe K line at 6.49 ± 0.07 keV was confirmed. The center energy of the line is consistent with those of type Ia SNRs.

Iron-rich Metal-poor Stars and the Astrophysics of Thermonuclear Events Observationally Classified as Type Ia Supernovae. I. Establishing the Connection

The progenitor systems and explosion mechanisms responsible for the thermonuclear events observationally classified as Type Ia supernovae are uncertain and difficult to uniquely constrain using traditional observations of Type Ia supernova host galaxies, progenitors, light curves, and remnants. For the subset of thermonuclear events that are prolific producers of iron, we use published theoretical nucleosynthetic yields to identify a set of elemental abundance ratios infrequently observed in metal-poor stars but shared across a range of progenitor systems and explosion mechanisms: [Na, Mg, Co/Fe] < 0. We label stars with this abundance signature “iron-rich metal-poor,” or IRMP stars. We suggest that IRMP stars formed in environments dominated by thermonuclear nucleosynthesis and consequently that their elemental abundances can be used to constrain both the progenitor systems and explosion mechanisms responsible for thermonuclear explosions. We identify three IRMP stars in the literature and homogeneously infer their elemental abundances. We find that the elemental abundances of BD +80 245, HE 0533–5340, and SMSS J034249.53–284216.0 are best explained by the (double) detonations of sub-Chandrasekhar-mass CO white dwarfs. If our interpretation of IRMP stars is accurate, then they should be very rare in globular clusters and more common in the Magellanic Clouds and dwarf spheroidal galaxies than in the Milky Way’s halo. We propose that future studies of IRMP stars will quantify the relative occurrences of different thermonuclear event progenitor systems and explosion mechanisms.

Deciphering the ultra-steep-spectrum diffuse radio sources discovered in the cool-core cluster Abell 980

Clusters of galaxies are excellent laboratories for studying recurring nuclear activity in galactic nuclei since their hot gaseous medium can vastly prolong the detectability of their radio lobes via better confinement. We report here a multi-band study of the sparsely studied galaxy cluster Abell 980, based on our analysis of Chandra X-ray data and GMRT (150 and 325 MHz) and EVLA (1.5 GHz) radio archival data, revealing an unusually rich phenomenology. It is shown to be a quasi-relaxed cluster with a cool core (T ∼ 4.2 keV) surrounded by a hot and extensive intracluster medium (ICM) at T ∼ 6.8 keV. The radio emission shows a rich diversity, having (i) two large diffuse sources of ultra-steep spectrum (USS) extending to opposite extremities of the ICM, each associated with an X-ray brightness discontinuity (cold front); (ii) a bright radio-double of size ∼55 kpc coinciding with the central BCG; and (iii) a diffuse radio source, likely a mini-halo of size ∼110 kpc around the BCG which possesses a huge ellipsoidal stellar halo of extent ∼80 kpc. The association of cold fronts with two highly aged (∼260 Myr) USS sources in a cool-core cluster makes it a very rare system. These USS sources are probably radio lobes from a previous episode of jet activity in the BCG, driven buoyantly towards the outskirts of the X-ray halo, thereby creating the cold fronts. A deeper radio image of this cluster may provide a rare opportunity to verify the recently proposed alternative model which explains radio mini-haloes as the aggregate radio emission from Type Ia supernova remnant occurring in the giant stellar halo extended across the cluster core.

Evolution of Main-sequence-like Surviving Companions in Type Ia Supernova Remnants

Recent theoretical and numerical studies of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) explosions within the single-degenerate scenario suggest that the nondegenerate companions could survive during the supernova impact and could be detectable in nearby supernova remnants. However, observational efforts show less promising evidence of the existence of surviving companions from the standard single-degenerate channels. The spin-up/spin-down models are possible mechanisms to explain the nondetection of surviving companions. In these models, the spin-up phase could increase the critical mass for explosion, leading to a super-Chandrasekhar-mass explosion, and the spin-down phase could lead to extra mass loss and angular momentum redistribution. Since the spin-down timescale for the delayed explosion of a rotating white dwarf is unclear, in this paper we explore a vast parameter space of main-sequence-like surviving companions via two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of supernova impact and the subsequent stellar evolution of surviving companions. Tight universal relations to describe the mass-stripping effect, supernova kick, and depth of supernova heating are provided. Our results suggest that the not-yet-detected surviving companions from observations of nearby SN Ia remnants might favor low-mass companions, short binary separation, or stronger supernova explosion energies than the standard single-degenerate channels.

An Expanding Shell of Neutral Hydrogen Associated with SN 1006: Hints for the Single-degenerate Origin and Faint Hadronic Gamma-Rays

We report new H i observations of the Type Ia supernova remnant (SNR) SN 1006 using the Australia Telescope Compact Array with an angular resolution of (∼2 pc at the assumed SNR distance of 2.2 kpc). We find an expanding gas motion in position–velocity diagrams of H i with an expansion velocity of ∼4 km s−1 and a mass of ∼1000 M ⊙. The spatial extent of the expanding shell is roughly the same as that of SN 1006. We here propose a hypothesis that SN 1006 exploded inside the wind-blown bubble formed by accretion winds from the progenitor system consisting of a white dwarf and a companion star, and then the forward shock has already reached the wind wall. This scenario is consistent with the single-degenerate model. We also derived the total energy of cosmic-ray protons W p to be only ∼1.2–2.0 × 1047 erg by adopting the averaged interstellar proton density of ∼25 cm−3. The small value is compatible with the relation between the age and W p of other gamma-ray SNRs with ages below ∼6 kyr. The W p value in SN 1006 will possibly increase up to several 1049 erg in the next ∼5 kyr via the cosmic-ray diffusion into the H i wind shell.

Linking the properties of accreting white dwarfs with the ionization state of their ambient medium

ABSTRACT Steadily accreting white dwarfs (WDs) are efficient sources of ionization and thus are able to create extended ionized nebulae in their vicinity. These nebulae represent ideal tools for the detection of accreting WDs, given that in most cases the source itself is faint. In this work, we combine radiation transfer simulations with known H- and He-accreting WD models, providing for the first time the ionization state and the emission-line spectra of the formed nebulae as a function of the WD mass, the accretion rate and the chemical composition of the accreted material. We find that the nebular optical line fluxes and radial extent vary strongly with the WD’s accretion properties, peaking in systems with WD masses of 0.8–1.2 $\rm M_{\odot }$. Projecting our results on so-called BPT diagnostic diagrams, we show that accreting WD nebulae possess characteristics distinct from those of H ii-like regions, while they have line ratios similar to those in galactic low-ionization emission-line regions. Finally, we compare our results with the relevant constraints imposed by the lack of ionized nebulae in the vicinity of supersoft X-ray sources (SSSs) and Type Ia supernova remnants – sources that are related to steadily accreting WDs. The large discrepancies uncovered by our comparison rule out any steadily accreting WD as a potential progenitor of the studied remnants and additionally require the ambient medium around the SSSs to be less dense than 0.2 $\rm cm^{-3}$. We discuss possible alternatives that could bridge the incompatibility between the theoretical expectations and relevant observations.

The Double Detonation of a Double-degenerate System, from Type Ia Supernova Explosion to its Supernova Remnant

Type Ia supernovae (SNe) are believed to be caused by the thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf (WD), but the nature of the progenitor system(s) is still unclear. Recent theoretical and observational developments have led to renewed interest in double-degenerate models, in particular the “helium-ignited violent merger” or “dynamically driven double-degenerate double-detonation” (D6). In this paper we take the output of an existing D6 SN model and carry it into the supernova remnant (SNR) phase up to 4000 yr after the explosion, past the time when all the ejecta have been shocked. Assuming a uniform ambient medium, we reveal specific signatures of the explosion mechanism and spatial variations intrinsic to the ejecta. The first detonation produces an ejecta tail visible at early times, while the second detonation leaves a central density peak in the ejecta that is visible at late times. The SNR shell is off-center at all times, because of an initial velocity shift due to binary motion. The companion WD produces a large conical shadow in the ejecta, visible in projection as a dark patch surrounded by a bright ring. This is a clear and long-lasting feature that is localized, and its impact on the observed morphology is dependent on the viewing angle of the SNR. These results offer a new way to diagnose the explosion mechanism and progenitor system using observations of a Type Ia SNR.

Spatially Resolved Chandra Spectroscopy of Supernova Remnant DEM L71 in the Large Magellanic Cloud

ABSTRACT We present a detailed X-ray spectroscopic study of the supernova remnant (SNR) DEM L71 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Based on deep ∼103 ks archival Chandra data, we perform a detailed spatially resolved spectral analysis of DEM L71. We analyse regional spectra extracted from thin-sliced regions along several different azimuthal directions of the SNR to construct radial profiles of elemental abundances for O, Ne, Mg, Si, and Fe. Our elemental abundance measurements reveal an asymmetrical spatial distribution of metal-rich ejecta gas. Especially the asymmetry in the western part of the central Fe distribution is remarkable. While the location of the contact discontinuity is generally at ∼5 pc from the geometric center of the X-ray emission of DEM L71, it is uncertain in the western part of the remnant. Fe is enhanced in the ejecta while O and Ne abundances are generally negligible. This finding confirms the Type Ia origin of DEM L71. We estimate an upper limit on the Sedov age of ∼6660 ± 770 yr and explosion energy of ∼1.74 ± 0.35 × 1051 erg for the remnant. This explosion energy estimate is consistent with a canonical explosion of a type Ia SNR.

Locating the CSM Emission within the Type Ia Supernova Remnant N103B

Abstract We present results from deep Chandra observations of the young Type Ia supernova remnant (SNR) 0509–68.7, also known as N103B, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The remnant displays an asymmetry in brightness, with the western hemisphere appearing significantly brighter than the eastern one. Previous multiwavelength observations have attributed the difference to a density gradient and suggested origins in circumstellar material, drawing similarities to Kepler’s SNR. We apply a clustering technique combined with traditional imaging analysis to spatially locate various emission components within the remnant. We find that O and Mg emission is strongest along the blast wave, and coincides with Spitzer observations of dust emission and optical emission from the nonradiative shocks. The abundances of O and Mg in these regions are enhanced relative to the average LMC abundances and appear as a distinct spatial distribution compared to the ejecta products, supporting the interpretation based on a circumstellar medium. We also find that the spatial distribution of Cr is identical to that of Fe in the interior of the remnant, and does not coincide at all with the O and Mg emission.

Forbidden Line Emission from Type Ia Supernova Remnants Containing Balmer-dominated Shells

Abstract Balmer-dominated shells in supernova remnants (SNRs) are produced by collisionless shocks advancing into a partially neutral medium and are most frequently associated with Type Ia supernovae. We have analyzed Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images and Very Large Telescope (VLT)/Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) or AAT/Wide Field Integral Spectrograph observations of five Type Ia SNRs containing Balmer-dominated shells in the LMC: 0509–67.5, 0519–69.0, N103B, DEM L71, and 0548–70.4. Contrary to expectations, we find bright forbidden-line emission from small dense knots embedded in four of these SNRs. The electron densities in some knots are higher than 104 cm−3. The size and density of these knots are not characteristic for interstellar medium—they most likely originate from a circumstellar medium ejected by the SN progenitor. Physical property variations of dense knots in the SNRs appear to reflect an evolutionary effect. The recombination timescales for high densities are short, and HST images of N103B taken 3.5 yr apart already show brightness changes in some knots. VLT/MUSE observations detect [Fe xiv] line emission from reverse shocks into SN ejecta as well as forward shocks into the dense knots. Faint [O iii] line emission is also detected from the Balmer shell in 0519–69.0, N103B, and DEM L71. We exclude the postshock origin because the [O iii] line is narrow. For the preshock origin, we considered three possibilities: photoionization precursor, cosmic-ray precursor, and neutral precursor. We conclude that the [O iii] emission arises from oxygen that has been photoionized by [He ii] λ304 photons and is then collisionally excited in a shock precursor heated mainly by cosmic rays.

Escape of cosmic rays from perpendicular shocks in the interstellar magnetic field

We investigate the escape process from a perpendicular shock region of a spherical shock in the interstellar medium (ISM). The diffusive shock acceleration in the perpendicular shock of supernova remnants (SNRs) has been expected to accelerate cosmic rays (CRs) to the PeV scale without an upstream magnetic field amplification. We estimate the maximum energy of CRs limited by the escape from the perpendicular shock region. By performing test particle simulations, we confirm the theoretical estimation, showing that the escape-limited maximum energy in the perpendicular shock is several 10 TeV for the typical type Ia SNRs. Therefore, in order for SNRs in the ISM to accelerate CRs to the PeV scale, an upstream magnetic field amplification is needed. The characteristic energy scale of several 10 TeV could be the origin of the spectral break around 10 TeV, which was reported by recent direct CR observations. In addition, we show that, in the free expansion phase, the rapid perpendicular shock acceleration works on about 20% area of the whole shock surface, which is larger than the size of the superluminal shock region. We also discuss the escape of CR electrons from the perpendicular shock.

Discovery of a Highly Neutronized Ejecta Clump in the Type Ia Supernova Remnant 3C 397

Abstract The supernova remnant (SNR) 3C 397 is thought to originate from a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) explosion of a near-Chandrasekhar-mass (M Ch) progenitor, based on the enhanced abundances of Mn and Ni revealed by previous X-ray study with Suzaku. Here we report follow-up XMM-Newton observations of this SNR, conducted with the aim of investigating the detailed spatial distribution of the Fe-peak elements. We have discovered an ejecta clump with extremely high abundances of Ti and Cr, in addition to Mn, Fe, and Ni, in the southern part of the SNR. The Fe mass of this ejecta clump is estimated to be ∼0.06 M ⊙, under the assumption of a typical Fe yield for SNe Ia (i.e., ∼0.8 M ⊙). The observed mass ratios among the Fe-peak elements and Ti require substantial neutronization that is achieved only in the innermost regions of a near-M Ch SN Ia with a central density of ρ c ∼ 5 × 109 g cm−3, significantly higher than typically assumed for standard near-M Ch SNe Ia (ρ c ∼ 2 × 109 g cm−3). The overproduction of the neutron-rich isotopes (e.g., 50Ti and 54Cr) is significant in such high-ρ c SNe Ia, with respect to the solar composition. Therefore, if 3C 397 is a typical high-ρ c near-M Ch SN Ia remnant, the solar abundances of these isotopes could be reproduced by the mixture of the high- and low-ρ c near-M Ch and sub-M Ch Type Ia events, with ≲20% being high-ρ c near-M Ch.