Suzaku Observations of the Non-thermal Supernova Remnant HESS J1731-347
Abstract
A detailed analysis of the non-thermal X-ray emission from the northwestern and southern parts of the supernova remnant (SNR) HESS J1731-347 with Suzaku is presented. The shell portions covered by the observations emit hard and lineless X-rays. The spectrum can be reproduced by a simple absorbed power-law model with a photon index Γ of 1.8-2.7 and an absorption column density N H of (1.0-2.1) × 1022 cm-2. These quantities change significantly from region to region; the northwestern part of the SNR has the hardest and most absorbed spectrum. The western part of the X-ray shell has a smaller curvature than the northwestern and southern shell segments. A comparison of the X-ray morphology to the very high energy gamma-ray and radio images was performed. The efficiency of the electron acceleration and the emission mechanism in each portion of the shell are discussed. Thermal X-ray emission from the SNR was searched for but could not be detected at a significant level.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- September 2012
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0004-637X/756/2/149
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1207.4182
- Bibcode:
- 2012ApJ...756..149B
- Keywords:
-
- acceleration of particles;
- ISM: individual objects: HESS J1731–347;
- X-rays: ISM;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- 23 pages, 28 figures, ApJ, in press