2007/12/07 by Xuejuan Yang, Xue-juan Yang, F. J. Lu +2
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Abundance (ecology) #Analytical Chemistry (journal) #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Cassiopeia A #Chemistry #Ejecta #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Ion #Ionization #Physics #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Spectral line #Spectroscopy #Supernova #Supernova remnant #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/1009-9271/8/4/08
accepted by ChJAA
arxiv created 2007/12/07 · openalex publication_date 2008/08/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We present high spatial resolution X-ray spectroscopy of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A with the Chandra observations. The X-ray emitting region of this remnant was divided into 38 × 34 pixels of 10'' × 10'' each. Spectra of 960 pixels were created and fitted with an absorbed two component non-equilibrium ionization model. From the results of the spectral analysis we obtained maps of absorbing column density, temperatures, ionization ages, and the abundances of Ne, Mg, Si, S, Ca and Fe. The Si, S and possibly Ca abundance maps show obvious jet structures, while Fe does not follow the jet but seems to be distributed perpendicular to it. The abundances of Si, S and Ca show tight correlations between one another over a range of about two dex. This suggests that they are ejecta from explosive O-burning and incomplete Si-burning. Meanwhile, the Ne abundance is well correlated with that of Mg, indicating them to be the ashes of explosive C/Ne burning. The Fe abundance is positively correlated with that of Si when the latter is lower than 3 times the solar value, and is negatively correlated when higher. We suggest that such a two phase correlation is due to the different ways in which Fe was synthesized.