Utilizing Supernova Remnants as Probes of Explosion Mechanisms and Progenitor Systems

Theory and observation strongly favor the notion that asymmetric explosions drive core-collapse supernovae, but where and how this asymmetry becomes introduced is uncertain. The most likely places of origin are in the explosion mechanism itself or the interior structure of the star into which the explosion proceeds. Investigating the recently uncovered bubble-like interiors of young, nearby supernova remnants may provide a way to unravel which of these competing processes dominate.