High Energy Studies of Composite Supernova Remnants
Abstract
Composite supernova remnants are characterized by rapidly expanding shells from the supernova blast wave accompanied by wind nebulae powered by young pulsars formed in the explosions. Energetic particles from each of these components can produce emission across the electromagnetic spectrum, and this emission provides unique information on the environmental and evolutionary states of these systems. Observations in the X-ray and gamma-ray bands provide particularly crucial information about the current injection of particles from the pulsars, interactions of the SNR reverse shock with the PWNe, and acceleration of particles at the SNR blast wave. Here I report on a study of composite SNRs based on Chandra, XMM, and Fermi observations that provide important constraints on their underlying particle spectra and on the origin of the high energy emission.
- Publication:
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AAS/High Energy Astrophysics Division #12
- Pub Date:
- September 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011HEAD...12.4505S