2010/04/22 by Satoru Katsuda, Una Hwang, Robert Petre +4 · 38 citations
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Chemistry #Ejecta #Galaxy #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Interstellar medium #Ion #Ionization #Line (geometry) #Physics #Protein filament #Supernova #Supernova remnant #astro-ph.HE
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0004-637x/714/2/1725
published in The Astrophysical Journal 714(2), 1725-1732 (IOP Publishing) · Published online
openalex publication_date 2010/04/22 · arxiv created 2010/04/23 · arxiv updated 2015/05/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We report on the discovery of X-ray-emitting O–Ne–Mg-rich ejecta in the middle-aged Galactic O-rich supernova remnant Puppis A with Chandra and XMM-Newton . We use line ratios to identify a low-ionization filament running parallel to the northeastern edge of the remnant that requires super-solar abundances, particularly for O, Ne, and Mg, which we interpret to be from O–Ne–Mg-rich ejecta. Abundance ratios of Ne/O, Mg/O, and Fe/O are measured to be ∼2, ∼2, and <0.3 times the solar values. Our spatially resolved spectral analysis from the northeastern rim to the western rim otherwise reveals sub-solar abundances consistent with those in the interstellar medium. The filament is coincident with several optically emitting O-rich knots with high velocities. If these are physically related, the filament would be a peculiar fragment of ejecta. On the other hand, the morphology of the filament suggests that it may trace ejecta heated by a shock reflected strongly off the dense ambient clouds near the northeastern rim.