Back to Search
Start Over
MOLECULAR ENVIRONMENT AND AN X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY OF SUPERNOVA REMNANT KESTEVEN 78.
- Source :
-
Astrophysical Journal . Dec2011, Vol. 743 Issue 1, Special section p1-11. 11p. - Publication Year :
- 2011
-
Abstract
- We investigate the molecular environment of the Galactic supernova remnant (SNR) Kesteven 78 and perform an XMM-Newton X-ray spectroscopic study for the northeastern edge of the remnant. SNR Kes 78 is found to interact with the molecular clouds (MCs) at a systemic local standard of rest velocity of 81 km s-1. At around this velocity, the SNR appears to contact a long molecular strip in the northeast and a large cloud in the east as revealed in the 13CO line, which may be responsible for the radio brightness peak and the OH maser, respectively. The 12CO-line bright region morphologically matches the eastern bright radio shell in general, and the SNR is consistent in extent with a CO cavity. Broadened 12CO-line profiles discerned in the eastern maser region and the western clumpy molecular arc and the elevated 12CO (J = 2-1)/(J = 1-0) ratios along the SNR boundary may be signatures of shock perturbation in the molecular gas. The SNR--MC association places the SNR at a kinematic distance of 4.8 kpc. The X-rays arising from the northeastern radio shell are emitted by underionized hot (~1.5 keV), low-density (~0.1 cm-3) plasma with solar abundance, and the plasma may be of intercloud origin. The age of the remnant is inferred to be about 6 kyr. The size of the molecular cavity in Kes 78 implies an initial mass around 22 M⊙ for the progenitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0004637X
- Volume :
- 743
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Astrophysical Journal
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 70320313
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/743/1/4