Filling the gap between supernova explosions and their remnants: the Cassiopeia A laboratory
Abstract
Supernova remnats (SNRs) show a complex morphology characterized by an inhomogeneous spatial distribution of ejecta, believed to reflect pristine structures and features of the progenitor supernova (SN) explosion. Filling the gap between SN explosions and their remnants is very important for a comprehension of the origin of present-day structure of ejecta in SNRs and to probe and constraint current models of SN explosions. The SNR Cassiopeia A (Cas A) is an attractive laboratory for studying the SNe-SNRs connection, being one of the best studied SNRs for which its 3D structure is known. We present a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model describing the evolution of Cas A from the immediate aftermath of the SN explosion to its expansion through the interstellar medium, taking into account the distribution of element abundances of the ejecta, the backreaction of accelerated cosmic rays at the shock front, and the deviations from equilibrium of ionizazion for the most important elements. We use the model to derive the physical parameters characterizing the SN explosion and reproducing the today morphology of Cas A.
- Publication:
-
The X-ray Universe 2014
- Pub Date:
- July 2014
- Bibcode:
- 2014xru..confE.298O