scholarly journals X-ray Observations of Crab-Like Supernova Remnants

1983 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. 321-328
Author(s):  
R. H. Becker

On the basis of extensive radio surveys of the galactic plane, approximately 140 sources of diffuse radio emission have been classified as supernova remnants (SNR). Using spectral index and spatial distribution as the primary selection criteria, these have been subdivided into two groups, “shell” and “Crab-like”. In each case, the radio emission is assumed to be of non-thermal origin. The two distinct morphologies arise from two distinct energy sources. For shell remnants, the energy is drawn from the reservoir of kinetic energy in the expanding shock front; in Crab-like remnants, the energy is drawn from the rotational kinetic energy of a central stellar remnant.These two classes of remnants differ significantly in their x-ray emission. With few exceptions, radio shell remnants emit thermal x-rays from shock heated gas which is itself distributed in a shell. Crab-like sources (as defined by their radio properties) emit synchrotron x-rays in a centrally-peaked spatial distribution. Presumably, the x-ray emission from these objects is an extension of the radio spectrum. Crab-like sources have a high probability of containing a compact (unresolved) source of x-ray emission which in analogy to the Crab Nebula, is identified as the central stellar remnant.The general absence of either compact x-ray sources or Crab-like diffuse nebulae within shell sources indicates that active pulsars are not usually formed in SN events which eventually form shell sources. However, there are several examples of remnants which share both shell and Crab-like characteristics so we cannot rule out an evolutionary connection between these two classes of SNR.

1973 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
pp. 51-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. E. Peterson

A review of the observational status of X-ray sources detected in the 20 ⋍ 500 keV range is presented. Of the approximately 115 sources listed in the March 1972 edition of the UHURU 2–6 keV sky survey catalog, about 15 sources have been studied in hard X-rays. Most of the data have been obtained from balloons, although the OSO-3, and more recently the OSO-7, have contributed. With the exception of CEN A, the SMC, and possibly M-87, all the sources detected at higher energies are galactic and heavily concentrated in the galactic plane. The Crab Nebula has been measured to about 500 keV in continuous emission and a component at the ⋍ 33 ms pulsar period comprising about 20% of the total emission has been detected to ∼10 MeV. Objects such as SCO-1 and CYG-2 are characterized by an exponential spectrum, which varies over a 10 min. time scale about a factor of two, and a flatter spectrum extending to above 40 keV which exhibits independent variability. Objects such as CYG-1 and possibly CYG-3 have a multi-component power law spectrum extending to over 100 keV, and may vary many factors over a period of weeks. Other sources generally not yet identified with optical or radio candidates, located in the Galactic Center and the Centaurus/Crux region also show considerable variability, and in one case may have been detected to nearly 500 keV. Only upper limits at about 2 × 10−4 photon (cm2 s keV)−1 in the 20–50 keV range exist for most supernova remnants and extragalactic sources.


2004 ◽  
Vol 218 ◽  
pp. 221-224
Author(s):  
John R. Dickel ◽  
Shiya Wang

Several Crab-type supernova remnants appear to have very bright non-thermal X-ray cores just around the pulsar or expected pulsar. This X-ray brightness is often not matched by a corresponding increase in radio emission. The best example of this phenomenon is in N157B in the LMC. G21.5−0.9 and possibly 3C 58 also show it while the Crab Nebula and 0540−69.3 do not. Some method to enhance the higher energy particles must be present in these objects.


1970 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 216-237
Author(s):  
James E. Felten

This is a critical review of theories of known discrete X-ray sources. The Crab is omitted, having been dealt with in Woltjer's review. Two of the identified sources, Sco X-1 and Cyg X-2, seem to be of the same sort. A binary or gas-stream model like that of Prendergast and Burbidge, with dimension R ∼ 109 cm and density n ∼ 1016 cm−3, appears reconcilable with the observed features of these sources, though much detailed work remains to be done. Neither object is yet known to be binary. Theoretical work becomes more difficult if, as appears to be the case at least for Sco X-1, the objects are optically thick due to electron scattering; this may affect the optical and X-ray spectra.The recent searches for iron lines in the X-ray spectrum of Sco X-1 are reviewed briefly. The calculations and the energy resolution are not yet good enough to make this a dependable test of models.Several possibilities are offered for explaining the excess radio flux from Sco X-1.Other theories of Sco X-1-type sources are discussed briefly. The theory of Manley and Olbert seems a little superfluous when the gas-stream theory is still in a strong position.There are serious discrepancies between X-ray and optical estimates of the distance to Sco X-1. 21-cm measurements must also be considered. The situation is reviewed, and ways out of the difficulty are discussed.Cen X-2 seems to be like Sco X-1, but several other unidentified sources have hard spectra like the Crab. It is tempting to speculate that most of the galactic sources are supernova remnants.The extended γ-ray source in the galactic plane may be the extrapolated unresolved sum of galactic X-ray sources, as suggested by Ogelman. There are several other possibilities.M87 is the only established extragalactic source. Radio, optical and X-ray observations are summarized and graphed. A power-law extrapolation to the X-ray band is far from mandatory; nevertheless the optical flux from the jet is known to be synchrotron radiation. The time-scale difficulties in the jet are described, and several theories of the survival of the optical electrons are reviewed.Processes for producing X-rays other than thermal bremsstrahlung and synchrotron radiation are listed. These other processes are characterized by low efficiency, and are likely to be unimportant in discrete sources, though several have attracted attention with reference to the diffuse background.


1998 ◽  
Vol 188 ◽  
pp. 117-120
Author(s):  
R. Petre ◽  
J. Keohane ◽  
U. Hwang ◽  
G. Allen ◽  
E. Gotthelf

The suggestion that the shocks of supernova remnants (SNR's) are cosmic ray acceleration sites dates back more than 40 years. While observations of nonthermal radio emission from SNR shells indicate the ubiquity of GeV cosmic ray production, there is still theoretical debate about whether SNR shocks accelerate particles up to the well-known “knee” in the primary cosmic ray spectrum at ~3,000 TeV. Recent X-ray observations of SN1006 and other SNR's may have provided the missing observational link between SNR shocks and high energy cosmic ray acceleration. We discuss these observations and their interpretation, and summarize our ongoing efforts to find evidence from X-ray observations of cosmic ray acceleration in the shells of other SNR's.


1983 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. 361-365
Author(s):  
W. T. Sanders ◽  
D. N. Burrows ◽  
D. McCammon ◽  
W. L. Kraushaar

Almost all of the B band (0.10–0.19 keV) and C band (0.15–0.28 keV) X-rays probably originate in a hot region surrounding the Sun, which Cox and Anderson have modeled as a supernova remnant. This same region may account for a significant fraction of the M band (0.5–1 keV) X-rays if the nonequilibrium models of Cox and Anderson are applicable. A population of distant SNR similar to the local region, with center-to-center spacing of about 300 pc, could provide enough galactic M band emission to fill in the dip in the count rate in the galactic plane that would otherwise be present due to absorption of both the extra-galactic power law flux and any large-scale-height stellar (or galactic halo) emission.


1971 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 268-272
Author(s):  
Wallace H. Tucker

Continuous injection models for the secular behavior of the radio and X-ray emission from supernova remnants are examined and compared with the observations. Among other things, it is concluded that (1) continuous injection probably occurs for at least 10 yr in every case and about 1000 yr in most supernova remnants, in which case the supernova remnants 3C392, W28, Pup A and IC443 should produce 1–10 keV X-ray fluxes ≈ 10-10 ergs/cm2-sec, and (2) the X-ray sources in the Crab Nebula, Cas A and Tycho can be explained in terms of a model wherein continuous injection occurs for 300 yr for the Crab Nebula, much less than 250 yr for Cas A and much longer than 400 yr for Tycho. Finally, it is shown that if Tycho and Cas A contain an X-ray star such as NP 0532, it is quite possible that the X-ray emission from those sources is predominantly due to the X-ray star.


1993 ◽  
Vol 306 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. E. Ocola ◽  
F. Cerrina

AbstractThe study of photoelectron effects in X-ray Lithography motivates the need for modeling codes to simulate these effects to have an estimate of the influence of x-ray generated photoelectrons in the exposure of resists. We have performed a series of Monte Carlo simulations to study the spatial distribution of photoelectrons in a resist, PMMA, and parametrized this distribution with a set of energy-dependent gaussians for monochromatic X-rays within an energy range of 0.5 KeV to 2.5 KeV. We discuss the effects of the the redistribution of the photoelectron kinetic energy as a function of the electrons generated by the x-ray absorption in various atomic species.


1968 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 206-209
Author(s):  
Hugh M. Johnson

The six or eight optically identified X-ray sources comprise starlike objects and extended supernova remnants in the Galaxy, well as as a radio galaxy and a quasar. Both X-ray and radiofrequency radiation penetrate the entire galactic plane, but only two or three galactic radio sources have been identified with X-ray sources. This has led Hayakawa et al. to postulate that detectable X-ray sources are not farther than 1 kpc. However, other studies suggest that there is a cluster of a few intrinsically bright sources actually near the galactic nucleus and a scattering of weaker sources near the sun.The distances of X-ray sources can be estimated from extinction by interstellar gas or intergalactic gas on spectra above 10 Å, but the method ultimately depends on the radio and optical data of the gas. Conversely, interstellar densities of certain elements with large photo-ionization cross-sections may be determined from the absorption of X-rays, after calibration of source distances by the methods of optical astronomy.


1983 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. 405-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick D. Seward

The recent discovery of a central pulsing X-ray source makes MSH 15–52 the third SNR to contain a radio pulsar surrounded by diffuse X-ray emission. The pulsar periods are all increasing with time and the consequent loss of rotational kinetic energy is enough, in each remnant, to power a synchrotron nebula with the observed luminosity and volume.After a review of the properties of the Crab Nebula it will be shown that both Vela X and MSH 15–52 have the same relationship between central pulsar and diffuse emission. Using empirical rules derived from these SNR, it is demonstrated that other plerionic remnants have similar characteristics. Two accretion-powered central sources can be distinguished from radio pulsars in SNR by the relatively high X-ray luminosity of the central source compared to that of possible synchrotron diffuse emission.


1965 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 227-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Par S. Bowyer ◽  
E. T. Byram ◽  
T. A. Chubb ◽  
H. Friedman

Ten discrete sources of X-rays have been identified from observations made with Geiger counters aboard unstabilized Aerobee rockets. The distribution of sources is flattened toward the galactic plane. Tau XR-1 is an X-ray source within one arc minute of the center of the Crab Nebula and of angular diameter one arc minute as determined from observation of a lunar occultation. The position of the strongest source, Sco XR-1, is known to about 0.5 degree and the remaining eight sources to about 1.5 degree. Three X-ray sources, Sco XR-1, Cyg XR-1, and Cyg XR-2, are not accompanied by any known optical or radio objects at their positions. Oph XR-1 matches the position of the Kepler SN 1604 and Sgr XR-1 is within 2.3 degrees of Sgr A. The remaining five sources are not sufficiently well resolved or positioned to permit identifications with optical or radio sources. The X-ray flux from the Crab Nebula is compatible with synchrotron spectrum with index — 1.1 and the flux of 1.8 × 10-8 erg cm-2 s-1 (1.5-8 Å) fits the extrapolated optical synchrotron spectrum with the same index.


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