ALMA CO Observations of the Gamma-Ray Supernova Remnant RX J1713.7-3946: Discovery of Shocked Molecular Cloudlets and Filaments at 0.01 pc Scales
Abstract
RX J1713.7-3946 is a unique core-collapse supernova remnant (SNR) that emits bright TeV gamma-rays and synchrotron X-rays caused by cosmic rays, in addition to interactions with interstellar gas clouds. We report here on results of Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array 12CO(J = 1-0) observations toward the northwestern shell of the SNR. We newly found three molecular complexes consisting of dozens of shocked molecular cloudlets and filaments with typical radii of ∼0.03-0.05 pc and densities of ∼104 cm-3. These cloudlets and filaments are located not only along synchrotron X-ray filaments, but also in the vicinity of X-ray hotspots with month- or year-scale time variations. We argue that X-ray hotspots and filaments were generated by shock-cloudlet interactions through magnetic-field amplification up to mG. The interstellar medium density contrast of ∼105, coexistence of molecular cloudlets and low-density diffuse medium of ∼0.1 cm-3, is consistent with such a magnetic field amplification as well as a wind-bubble scenario. The small-scale cloud structures also affect hadronic gamma-ray spectra considering the magnetic field amplification on surface and inside clouds.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- December 2020
- DOI:
- 10.3847/2041-8213/abc884
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2011.05018
- Bibcode:
- 2020ApJ...904L..24S
- Keywords:
-
- Supernova remnants;
- Interstellar medium;
- Cosmic ray sources;
- Gamma-ray sources;
- X-ray sources;
- 1667;
- 847;
- 328;
- 633;
- 1822;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
- E-Print:
- 9 pages, 1 table, 4 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters (ApJL)