Typing Supernova Remnants Using X-Ray Line Emission Morphologies
Abstract
We present a new observational method to type the explosions of young supernova remnants (SNRs). By measuring the morphology of the Chandra X-ray line emission in 17 Galactic and Large Magellanic Cloud SNRs with a multipole expansion analysis (using power ratios), we find that the core-collapse SNRs are statistically more asymmetric than the Type Ia SNRs. We show that the two classes of supernovae can be separated naturally using this technique because X-ray line morphologies reflect the distinct explosion mechanisms and structure of the circumstellar material. These findings are consistent with recent spectropolarimetry results showing that core-collapse supernovae explosions are intrinsically more asymmetric.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- November 2009
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0004-637X/706/1/L106
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0910.3208
- Bibcode:
- 2009ApJ...706L.106L
- Keywords:
-
- methods: data analysis;
- supernova remnants;
- supernovae: general;
- X-rays: ISM;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- 4 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in ApJL